 "In Graphics | Which French leaders have run afoul of the law?")
On Thursday, ex-French president Nicolas Sarkozy, in a massive development, was sentenced to five years in jail.
Sarkozy was convicted of a criminal conspiracy over attempts to raise campaign funds from Libya for his 2007 presidential bid. At the time, the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi ruled the country.
The ruling came as a massive personal blow to Sarkozy, who led France from 2007–2012. Sarkozy, leaving the court, called the decision “scandalous”.
“If they absolutely want me to sleep in jail, I will sleep in jail, but with my head held high,” he told reporters, adding that he was innocent. “I will not apologise for something I didn’t do.”
“What happened today … is of extreme gravity in regard to the rule of law, and for the trust one can have in the justice system,” he added.
He made the remarks as his model and singer-songwriter wife, Carla Bruni, stood by him.
Sarkozy will become the first former president of France to spend time in prison. But he is far from the only one to face legal trouble.
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