Nicolas Sarkozy corruption trial

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The 2020 trial in France for the former French President Nicolas Sarkozy dealt with allegations that he bribed a judge with a retirement package in return for information on an investigation into alleged campaign finance violations due to payments he is said to have received from heiress Liliane Bettencourt. The trial opened on 24 November 2020. [1] Prosecutors asked for a four-year jail sentence (of which two would be suspended) for Sarkozy, the implicated judge (Gilbert Azibert), and Sarkozy's lawyer Thierry Herzog. [2] [3] On 4 December 2020, Ziad Takieddine, a Lebanese businessman who allegedly helped finance Sarkozy's 2007 presidential election campaign with help from former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, was detained in Lebanon, [4] although he was allowed a conditional prison release a few days later after agreeing to abide by a travel ban. [5] The defendants denied the accusations. [6] The trial concluded on 10 December; the verdict was rendered on 1 March 2021. [7] Sarkozy, Azibert, and Herzog were found guilty and sentenced to three years in jail for corruption. [8] Two years of this sentence are suspended, and one to be served in prison. [9] Sarkozy appealed, suspending the ruling. [10] [11] On 17 May 2023, Sarkoxy, as well as his co-defendants, was convicted on appeal and given a three-year sentence; they appealed to the Court of Cassation. [12] [13]

On 20 May 2021, a new criminal trial related to illegal campaign funding began for Sarkozy, as well as 13 other defendants who were said to have been involved in the Bygmalion scandal. [14] Sarkozy's second corruption trial involved allegations of diverting tens of millions of euros intended to be spent on his failed 2012 re-election campaign and then hiring a PR firm to cover it up. [15] [16] Rather than spend this illicit money on his re-election campaign, Sarkozy instead overspent it on lavish campaign rallies and events. [15] [16] On 30 September 2021, Sarkozy, as well as his co-defendants, was convicted at the conclusion of this corruption trial. [17] For this conviction, he was given a one year prison sentence, although he was also given the option to instead serve this sentence at home with an electronic bracelet. [16] On December 18, 2024, the Court of Cassation rejected Nicolas Sarkozy's appeal in cassation and the co-defendants, thus making Nicolas Sarkozy's conviction final, who immediately announced that they would refer the matter to the European Court of Human Rights. [18]

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References

  1. ↑ Breeden, Aurelien (23 November 2020). "Corruption Trial of Ex-President Sarkozy Opens in France". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  2. ↑ "French prosecutors seek prison term for ex-president Sarkozy in graft trial". France 24. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  3. ↑ Corbet, Sylvie (8 December 2020). "French prosecutors seek jail in Sarkozy corruption trial". ABC. Archived from the original on 4 January 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  4. ↑ Francis, Ellens (4 December 2020). "Businessman linked to Sarkozy corruption allegations detained in Beirut – sources". Reuters. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  5. ↑ "Lebanon orders release, travel ban on businessman tied to Sarkozy case". Reuters. 8 December 2020. Archived from the original on 9 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  6. ↑ Willsher, Kim (23 November 2020). "Nicolas Sarkozy corruption trial: co-defendant wants Covid postponement". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  7. ↑ "French Court To Rule In Ex-president Sarkozy's Corruption Trial". Barron's. Agence France-Presse. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  8. ↑ "Sarkozy: Former French president sentenced to jail for corruption". BBC. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  9. ↑ Corbert, Sylvie (1 March 2021). "France's Sarkozy convicted of corruption, sentenced to jail". Associated Press. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  10. ↑ "Nicolas Sarkozy va faire appel après sa condamnation pour corruption". L'Obs (in French). 1 March 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  11. ↑ Leplongeon, Marc (1 March 2021). "Affaire des 'écoutes : Nicolas Sarkozy va faire appel". Le Point (in French). Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  12. ↑ Hummel, Tassilo (17 May 2023). "France's Sarkozy loses corruption appeal, to challenge at highest court". Reuters. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  13. ↑ "Nicolas Sarkozy's three-year sentence upheld by appeals court in corruption case". Le Monde. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  14. ↑ Sebag, Gaspard (20 May 2021). "Sarkozy a No-Show as Second Criminal Trial Begins in Paris". Bloomberg. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  15. 1 2 "Nicolas Sarkozy: Ex-president goes on trial for illegal campaign funding". BBC. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  16. 1 2 3 "France's ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy to serve a year of house arrest for illegal campaign financing". France 24. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  17. ↑ "Sarkozy: Ex-French president gets jail sentence over campaign funding". BBC. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  18. ↑ "Affaire des écoutes «Bismuth» : Nicolas Sarkozy définitivement condamné à un an sous bracelet électronique". Le Figaro. 18 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
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