Nicolas Sarkozy, former president of France, has had his corruption conviction upheld by the Court of Cassation, the country’s highest court.
The court confirmed the decision on Wednesday, 18th December 2024, stating, “The convictions and sentences are therefore final.”
Sarkozy, who was president from 2007 to 2012, now faces a one-year prison sentence.
Sarkozy had challenged the 2021 conviction on corruption and influence peddling charges, which carried a three-year prison sentence.
Reuters reports that two years of the sentence were suspended. Sarkozy would serve the remaining year under electronic surveillance, wearing a monitoring bracelet, instead of incarceration.
Sarkozy’s appeal aimed to overturn the conviction and avoid the electronic monitoring.
Sarkozy’s conviction stemmed from allegations of corruption and influence peddling during his presidency.
After retiring from public life in 2017, Sarkozy continues to deny all charges, Associated Press reports.
The ruling follows Sarkozy’s appeal against a 2021 conviction for corruption and influence peddling, in which he was sentenced to three years in prison.
Two of those years were suspended, and the remaining year will be served with an electronic monitoring bracelet instead of actual imprisonment.
Sarkozy was found guilty by a lower court of attempting to bribe a judge in exchange for confidential information about an investigation into his 2007 campaign finances.
He had reportedly conspired to secure a job for Judge Gilbert Azibert in Monaco in exchange for inside details about the probe into allegations that Sarkozy accepted illegal payments from L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt. Azibert was also convicted of corruption.
In addition to this, Sarkozy is expected to stand trial next year for corruption and illegal financing charges related to alleged Libyan funding for his 2007 presidential campaign. If convicted in this case, Sarkozy could face up to 10 years in prison.
Sarkozy’s predecessor, Jacques Chirac, is the only other French president in modern history to be convicted, after being found guilty of corruption in 2011, four years after leaving office.
