Le Monde reported.On Thursday, September 25, a Paris court sentenced Sarkozy to five years in prison, finding him guilty of criminal conspiracy over alleged illegal funding of his 2007 presidential campaign with money from Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.The court ruled that Sarkozy should be taken into custody later, while prosecutors were given one month to notify the former French leader when he must be imprisoned. Even if Sarkozy appeals, this measure will remain in place.On other charges in the same case — embezzlement of public funds, passive corruption, and campaign finance violations — Sarkozy was acquitted.The 70-year-old Sarkozy, who served as president of France from 2007 to 2012, has denied the allegations throughout the proceedings. In 2011, he was one of the most active supporters of military intervention in Libya, where an uprising against Gaddafi had begun. Foreign airstrikes helped the rebels gain ground, Gaddafi’s regime was toppled, and he was killed.Sarkozy condemned the court’s decision and announced he would appeal.“This injustice is a scandal,” he said, adding that if he ends up behind bars, he will do so “with his head held high.”Two of Sarkozy’s former close aides were also convicted. His former aide Claude Guéant was found guilty of passive corruption and forgery, while former minister Brice Hortefeux was convicted of criminal conspiracy. Eric Woerth, Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign treasurer, was acquitted.During the lengthy reading of the verdict, the chief judge stated that Sarkozy had allowed his close associates to contact the Libyan authorities “to obtain or attempt to obtain financial support from Libya to fund the election campaign.”However, the court also noted it could not determine with certainty whether Libyan money ultimately financed Sarkozy’s campaign. Under French law, the corruption scheme can still constitute a crime even if the money was never paid or cannot be proven, the judge explained.