In brief
Nicolas Sarkozy, who served as France's president from 2007 to 2012, has had his conviction for illegal financing of his 2012 re-election campaign upheld by the Court of Cassation. Sarkozy is required to wear an electronic tag for six months of his one-year sentence and faces further legal challenges amid ongoing scrutiny of his campaign finances.
France's highest court has upheld a sentence against former French President Nicolas Sarkozy over the illegal financing of his 2012 re-election campaign.
He was found guilty of overspending on his campaign and then hiring a PR firm named Bygmalion to cover it up.
In 2024 Sarkozy, 70, was handed a one-year sentence, of which six months were suspended, meaning they could be served by wearing an electronic tag instead of going to jail.
He has always denied all allegations.
Prosecutors stated that Sarkozy's UMP party spent nearly double the €22.5m (£19.4m) cap on his campaign, splurging on lavish campaign rallies and events. To conceal these costs, the UMP asked Bygmalion to invoice the party instead of the campaign.
This ruling marks the second definitive conviction for the former president. In December, a corruption conviction was upheld by the High Court of Appeal, requiring Sarkozy to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet for six months. Later in September, he received a five-year sentence for criminal conspiracy, spending 20 days in jail before his release earlier this month.
An appeal trial is set for next year. Until then, Sarkozy must adhere to strict judicial supervision and is barred from leaving France.
Following his release, Sarkozy's team announced that he is writing a memoir reflecting on his time in prison, titled 'A prisoner's diary.' An excerpt shared on social media highlights his experience in jail.
