Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced by a Paris court to five years in prison “with deferred effect,” fined €100,000, and banned from holding public office for five years. The ruling makes Sarkozy, 70, the first former French head of state convicted of a high-level criminal conspiracy.

The case centered on allegations that Sarkozy accepted millions in illegal campaign financing from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi ahead of his 2007 election victory. Judges concluded he was part of a criminal conspiracy between 2005 and 2007, although they acquitted him of passive corruption, embezzlement of Libyan funds, and direct campaign finance violations.

Prosecutors argued that Sarkozy struck a deal with Gaddafi in exchange for money and diplomatic favors. Evidence presented during the three-month trial included Sarkozy’s 2005 visits to Tripoli, suspicious offshore money transfers, testimony from Libyan officials, and notes from a deceased Libyan oil minister referencing payments “for Sarkozy.” They also alleged his government shielded Gaddafi’s associates, including former chief of staff Bechir Saleh and brother-in-law Abdallah Senoussi.

Sarkozy has consistently denied the charges, insisting there is “not a shred of proof” linking him to Libyan funds. His defense team argued that the case was built on unreliable documents and questionable testimony.

The former president, who led France from 2007 to 2012, still has the right to appeal and could seek conditional release due to his age. Under French law, he must appear before the prosecutor’s office within one month to be notified of the date of imprisonment.

This conviction adds to Sarkozy’s mounting legal woes, including prior convictions in the “Bygmalion affair” over 2012 campaign overspending and the “Bismuth case” involving corruption and influence peddling.