Nicolas Sarkozy Begins Five-Year Prison Sentence for Conspiracy Involving Libyan Funds

Original article: Sarkozy a prisión: exmandatario francés y cercano a Piñera comienza condena de 5 años por conspiración

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy started serving a five-year prison sentence on Tuesday after being found guilty of conspiracy to raise campaign funds from Libya.

The 70-year-old Sarkozy, who governed France from 2007 to 2012, entered La Santé prison in Paris, becoming the first former French leader to be incarcerated since Philippe Pétain, who was imprisoned after World War II for collaborating with Nazi Germany.

Sarkozy’s entrance into the penitentiary generated considerable media buzz. One of his children organized protests outside their home in the upscale 16th district of Paris, where supporters sang the national anthem, La Marsellaise, as he left for prison under police escort. The former head of state was seen with his family, holding hands with his wife Carla Bruni.

Before heading to La Santé, Sarkozy posted a message on the social media platform X, where he defended his innocence and claimed to be a victim of vengeance and hatred.

“I want to tell the French people, with the unbreakable strength that defines me, that this morning, it is not a former president of the Republic who is being imprisoned, but an innocent man,” he stated.

In his message, he described himself as a “victim” of a “trial” and a “judicial scandal” that has “humiliated” France, urging people to feel “pity” for the country rather than for him.

“France is humiliated by an expression of vengeance that has taken hatred to unprecedented levels,” he asserted.

“The truth will prevail,” he said, “but the price to pay will have been overwhelming.”

His imprisonment marks the end of years of legal battles regarding accusations that his 2007 presidential campaign received millions of dollars in cash from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

He has been implicated as the mastermind of a scheme that also involved former ministers Éric Woerth, Brice Hortefeux, and Claude Guéant.

The matter dates back to a 2005 agreement under which he received €50 million from Libya. At that time, Sarkozy was the interior minister and pledged support to the Libyan leader, who was facing international isolation.

The French judiciary sentenced him on September 25 to five years in prison (of the seven years sought by the prosecution) for illicit association.

While Sarkozy was found guilty of conspiring with his closest allies to orchestrate the plan, he was acquitted of public funds embezzlement and electoral code violation (passive corruption) charges.

The former right-wing leader has consistently denied committing any crimes, claiming that the case against him is politically motivated.

Upon his arrival at La Santé, Nicolas Sarkozy was placed in a security cell located in an isolation unit, which is barely 15 square meters, to minimize interaction with other inmates.

Inside the prison, he will be allowed a daily walk in a small yard, alone, and will have access to a gym and a library, as well as family visits once a week.

Sarkozy’s lawyers have announced that they have requested his parole, as the law permits for prisoners over 70 years old after they enter jail, which could allow the former French president to spend Christmas at home, as the judiciary will have two months to make a decision. If successful, he could also attend his pending appeal trial free.

Connection Between Sarkozy and Piñera

The closeness between Nicolas Sarkozy and the late former President Sebastián Piñera was well-known.

On June 30, 2009, as the presidential candidate for the Coalition for Change, Piñera entered the Élysée Palace accompanied by his wife Cecilia Morel, along with Andrés Chadwick and Andrés Allamand, to meet then-President Sarkozy, who offered him support and advice for his campaign for La Moneda.

The meeting, which lasted an hour, was held in the Green Room of the Government Palace, a space designated for receptions of Heads of State. After the meeting with Sarkozy, Piñera described it as a “true lesson in leadership” and told the press that the encounter “was worth it.”

In October 2010, Sebastián Piñera returned to the Élysée Palace to meet Sarkozy again, this time as the President of Chile, and after the meeting, stated that he had sealed a “strategic alliance” with France.

On that occasion, he expressed his support for his French counterpart, whose pension system reform was facing fierce opposition in France, describing him as a “true leader” demonstrating “conviction” and “strength” in his actions.

“These are times for true leaders, and Nicolas Sarkozy is a true leader,” Piñera affirmed to the press.

Illustrating their close relationship, in 2016, Piñera and Sarkozy met during a visit to Chile that Sarkozy made in May of that year. On this occasion, the former French president visited the premises of the Avanza Chile Foundation.

Two years later, during his second term, and on the first day of a tour of Europe, Sebastián Piñera, along with Cecilia Morel, visited Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, former model and singer Carla Bruni, for a private dinner.