Nicolas Sarkozy has been definitively sentenced this Wednesday to three years in prison - one of them firm - for corruption and influence peddling. After the decision of the Court of Cassation the former French president will have to wear an electronic bracelet for a year, although he will not have to go to prison.
Such a harsh and humiliating sentence against a former president is unprecedented in France. Sarkozy, 69, who held the Élysée Palace from 2007 to 2012, has always maintained his innocence and claimed to be a victim of political persecution. The conviction comes in the so-called “wiretapping case”. He has been found guilty of attempting to corrupt a judge in order to obtain information about another judicial investigation concerning him.
The lawyer of the former Head of State announces an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights
One of Sarkozy's lawyers, Patrice Spinosi, announced that his client would file an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, arguing that fundamental freedoms have been violated. According to Spinosi, the verdict is obviously a defeat for Sarkozy, “but also for fundamental rights.” The lawyer pointed out that there has never been a conviction based on an intercepted conversation between a person and their client. In his opinion, there is jurisprudence for the ECHR to overturn the decision of the Court of Cassation.
During the last few years, Sarkozy, who still acts as a respected and influential leader of the Gaullist right, has attended numerous public and official events as a former head of state, without his legal problems posing an ethical or image obstacle. For example, he was seen in the front row among the guests at the recent reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, close to Trump, kings, and leaders from around the world. Emmanuel Macron himself has maintained a very smooth and friendly relationship with him, consulting him in important moments.
In addition to the obligation to wear the bracelet - actually placed on the ankle - and to establish with the judges the times of leaving his home and the perimeter in which he can move, the sentence includes a three-year disqualification from holding public office and practicing as a lawyer. It is possible that when Sarkozy turns 70, he may be freed from the bracelet due to the inconvenience it causes, but the full sentence will remain in place.
The firm conviction in the wiretapping case is not the only legal headache for Sarkozy. The issue of alleged fraud in the 2007 presidential campaign, in which he is accused of having received millions of euros from the then Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, is still pending. Another case regarding alleged illegal financing of the 2012 campaign is awaiting another appeal before the Court of Cassation.
Sarkozy's political career began in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a very wealthy municipality on the outskirts of Paris, where he served as a councilor and later as mayor for over 19 years. He was a member of parliament in several legislatures, holding positions in various governments under the presidencies of François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac, including Budget, Economy and Finance, and Interior. In 2007, he won the presidential elections against the socialist candidate Ségolène Royal. In 2012, he was defeated by the socialist candidate François Hollande. In 2016, he attempted once again to run for the Élysée in the right-wing primaries, but was surpassed by Alain Juppé and François Fillon.
