The verdict is in. This Wednesday, May 17, 2023, Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced on appeal to three years in prison, including one year to be executed under an electronic bracelet, for corruption and influence peddling in the wiretapping affair. An unprecedented sanction for a former French head of state insofar as the latter is the first former president of the Republic to be sentenced to prison. For three years, the husband of Carla Bruni will thus be deprived of his three civics, which makes him ineligible for any election.
For their part, the two co-defendants of the ex-president, his historic lawyer Thierry Herzog and the former senior magistrate Gilbert Azibert, were sentenced to the same sentence as Nicolas Sarakozy. Criminal lawyer Thierry Herzog is also banned from practicing his profession for three years.
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Another trial soon…
As a reminder, on December 13, the public prosecutor’s office had already requested three years of suspended imprisonment for the three defendants, who until now have always denied any corruption. The 68-year-old former politician also challenged “with the greatest force” during the appeal trial these accusations, reaffirming at the bar that he had “never corrupted anyone”.
A conviction which takes place while in a few months, next fall, Nicolas Sarkozy will be under the threat of a resounding third trial since he will be retried on appeal in the “Bygmalion” case.
LZ