French prosecutors seek seven-year term for Sarkozy in Libya funding appeal
Prosecutors urge judges to convict former president on all counts, including corruption and illegal campaign financing, reversing lower court acquittals.
French prosecutors have formally requested a seven-year prison sentence for former President Nicolas Sarkozy during his ongoing appeal trial regarding illegal campaign funding. The sentencing demand, announced on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, marks a significant escalation in the legal proceedings against the former head of state, who is contesting his conviction for accepting illicit contributions from late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The prosecution team has urged the appellate judges to convict Sarkozy on all charges, specifically including corruption and the illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign. This stance represents a departure from the initial lower court ruling delivered in September last year, where Sarkozy was acquitted of corruption and personally accepting illegal campaign funds, though he was found guilty of criminal conspiracy.
The case centres on allegations that Sarkozy struck a secret agreement with Gaddafi during the run-up to the 2007 election. Prosecutors allege that Gaddafi provided campaign funds in exchange for Sarkozy’s assistance in restoring Libya’s international standing following the country’s involvement in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing in Scotland and the 1989 Niger plane bombing, which resulted in hundreds of deaths.
Sarkozy, who served as President from 2007 to 2012, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. He maintains that the allegations are politically motivated and has asserted his innocence throughout the legal process. The former president became the first modern French president to serve time behind bars, spending 20 days in prison late last year before being released pending the outcome of the appeal.
The final sentence will be determined by the judges in the appeal court, meaning the prosecutor’s demand is not binding. The outcome of the appeal regarding the specific charges of corruption and illegal financing remains undecided, leaving the legal status of the former president in limbo as the court prepares to deliver its verdict.
