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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
National
RFI

Sarkozy loses final appeal as top court upholds 2012 campaign conviction

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy leaves his home with his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy on the day he was sent to La Santé prison to serve a five-year sentence for criminal conspiracy linked to an alleged attempt to obtain illicit funding for his election campaign from Libya, in Paris, France, on 21 October 2025. © REUTERS - Sarah Meyssonnier

France’s highest court upheld former president Nicolas Sarkozy’s conviction for illegal campaign financing on Wednesday, closing off his final appeal in the case. The ruling confirms a one-year prison sentence for overspending during his failed 2012 re-election bid.

Six months of the sentence were suspended and can be served through alternatives such as an electronic bracelet instead of prison time.

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