The decision of the appellate court in France.

Nicolas Sarkozy Faces Historic Trial Over Alleged €50 Million Campaign Funds from Gaddafi

Jan 6, 2025, 09:21 AM

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, along with twelve other defendants including former ministers Claude Guéant, Brice Hortefeux, and Éric Woerth, appeared in court in Paris on Monday, January 6, 2025, to face charges of corruption, illegal campaign financing, association de malfaiteurs, and embezzlement of Libyan public funds. The charges stem from allegations that Sarkozy received €50 million from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to fund his 2007 presidential campaign, significantly exceeding legal campaign funding limits. The trial, expected to last four months until April 10, follows a decade-long investigation involving 54 searches and a 577-page referral order. This historic and unprecedented case, described by some as an "affaire d'État," marks the first time a former French president has been prosecuted for such serious charges. Sarkozy, who faces up to ten years in prison and a €375,000 fine if convicted, denies all allegations, asserting that there is no evidence of illegal financing. The court proceedings aim to determine whether Sarkozy's campaign was illicitly funded by Gaddafi's regime in exchange for political, economic, and judicial favors.