Sarkozy Begins Serving Prison Sentence in Libyan Financing Case

The French channel "RTL" reported that former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will begin serving a five-year prison sentence on October 21, after being convicted of criminal conspiracy in the case of illegal financing of his 2007 election campaign.

This ruling is a significant blow to the career of the conservative politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012, as the court deemed the case to involve "exceptional seriousness," especially with the involvement of close associates of Sarkozy in attempts to obtain funds from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime to support his presidential campaign.

The case, which has occupied public opinion in France for years, dates back to allegations of receiving millions of euros from Tripoli, which Sarkozy has repeatedly denied, asserting that he is a victim of "political targeting," while his lawyers announced their intention to appeal the ruling.