Ex-French president Sarkozy attends final hearings in Libyan financing trial

By Dominic Wabwireh with AFP

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy returned to the Paris Court of Appeal for the final hearings in the high‑profile case over alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign, again rejecting accusations that he sought funds from Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.

Sarkozy, 71, previously told the court there was “not a single cent of Libyan money” in his campaign, reiterating a position he has maintained since the case first emerged.

He became the first former president in modern French history to spend time in jail over the affair, serving 20 days of a five‑year sentence before being released pending appeal.

The lower court in September 2025 found him guilty of seeking illicit funding from Libya but did not conclude that he received or used such funds.

Prosecutors argued that his aides negotiated with Gaddafi’s entourage in exchange for helping restore the Libyan leader’s international standing.

Victims of past bombings testify at appeal
Relatives of victims of the 1989 UTA Flight 772 bombing — attributed by French courts to Libyan intelligence — addressed the court in April.

Sarkozy said he could only respond to their “indescribable suffering with truth,” insisting he never made promises to Abdallah Senussi, Gaddafi’s former intelligence chief linked to the attacks.

He also reminded the court that France, under his leadership, played a central role in the 2011 military intervention against Gaddafi during the Arab Spring.

Verdict expected in the fall
The appeal trial is scheduled to run until 3 June, with a ruling expected later in the year.

If convicted, Sarkozy faces up to 10 years in prison.

The former president has faced multiple legal challenges since leaving office and already holds two definitive convictions in separate cases.