Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will serve a one-year house arrest sentence and will be barred from holding public office for three years, AFP reported.
This is the first time a former French head of state has been handed such a penalty.
The Court of Cassation dismissed Sarkozy’s appeal in the so-called Bismuth Affair, where he was found guilty of corruption and influence peddling.
The court’s decision makes his sentence effective immediately. Sarkozy will soon meet with a judge to establish the conditions of his house arrest monitoring.
Sarkozy’s lawyer, Patrice Spinosi, announced plans to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). “He will file with the European Court in the coming weeks to seek the protection of rights that French judges have denied him,” Spinosi said, adding that Sarkozy will comply with the sentence in the meantime.
The case, known as the Bismuth Affair, centers on a scheme from 2014. Sarkozy, along with his long-time lawyer Thierry Herzog and top magistrate Gilbert Azibert, orchestrated a “corruption pact.” Prosecutors showed that Sarkozy sought inside information about another legal case in exchange for helping Azibert secure a prestigious position in Monaco.
The courts sentenced all three men to similar penalties. Herzog also received a three-year ban from practicing law. The defendants maintained their innocence throughout the trial, challenging the verdict with 20 legal arguments against them. However, the Court of Cassation rejected these claims, solidifying the ruling from May 2023.
Sarkozy’s legal woes extend beyond this case. Starting January 6, he faces trial in Paris over allegations of accepting illegal campaign financing from Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi during the 2007 presidential race. That trial is expected to last four months.