Nicolas Sarkozy proclaims his innocence in the appeal for receiving illegal funds from Libya for his 2007 campaign

The former president of France declared on Tuesday, during an appeal process, that he is "innocent" of the charges of receiving illegal funding from Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 electoral campaign. In September 2025, a lower court found him guilty and sentenced him to five years in prison, thus becoming the first modern president of France to be incarcerated. Sarkozy was released after 20 days, awaiting the appeal. In the initial trial, prosecutors argued that Sarkozy's collaborators had reached an agreement with Gaddafi, promising to help improve Libya's international image, affected by terrorist attacks. Sarkozy emphasized that suffering cannot be repaired through injustice and reaffirmed that he is innocent. The appeal process will continue until June 3, and the verdict is expected in the fall. If convicted, Sarkozy risks up to 10 years in prison. Since leaving office, he has faced several legal issues and has already received two final convictions in other cases.