Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy In the appeal procedure, he was sentenced to three years in prison, two of which were suspended, due to the corruption crime committed in 2014, to the same sentence he was sentenced to at first instance in March 2021.
Sarkozy, the first former head of state sentenced to an effective prison sentence, he won’t go to jail because the court ruled that he can serve his sentence under house arrest with an electronic bracelet.
Dressed in grey, with a serious face, Sarkozy, who has retired from the political front since 2016 but is very influential among French conservatives, attended the reading of the verdict at the Paris courthouse, which he left without making a statement.
His lawyer, Jaqueline Laffont, found the sentence disturbing, intended to teach moral lessons but not law, confirming that they will appeal to the Supreme Court and go to the end to prove the former president’s innocence.
In March 2021, the former president was sentenced at first instance to three years in prison, two of which were acquitted, for a criminal offense committed in 2014, two years after leaving power, when, according to the verdict, he used his influence to gain benefits for another goal.
During the appeal trial in December last year, the prosecutor’s office asked for a reduction of that sentence, along with three years of exemption from serving, but the court was harsher towards Sarkozy.
Two years after leaving Elysium, Sarkozy tried to get judicial benefits from the high judgewhich was brought about by the wiretapping he was subjected to in another investigation.
The court also sentenced the remaining two defendants, Sarkozy’s lawyer, Thierry Herzog, to three years in prison, two suspended, with a three-year ban on practicing his profession; and magistrate Gilbert Azibert to the same sentence with three years of deprivation of civil rights.
His lawyers also announced an appeal before the Supreme Court and no one will have to go to prison.
The sentence is particularly harsh for Sarkozy because, as the president of the court explained, he used his status as a former president for personal gain.
The case, he continued, undermines the trust that citizens can legitimately expect from justice.
Although Sarkozy has always denied his guilt, the only way to prove it is the Supreme Court. You have five days to file an appeal.
Source: Panama America
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
