Prosecutors Seek Seven-Year Sentence for Sarkozy in Libyan Campaign Funding Appeal

French prosecutors requested a seven-year prison sentence for Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday in an appeal trial in Paris. The request, made on May 13, 2026, concerns charges that Sarkozy sought Libyan financing for his 2007 election campaign. Sarkozy served as president of France from 2007 to 2012.

He has always denied any wrongdoing. In 2025 Sarkozy became the first modern French former president to go to jail over the case. He was released after 20 days pending his appeal trial. Prosecutors had requested seven years in the first trial.

A lower court sentenced Sarkozy to five years for seeking to acquire the funding but acquitted him of corruption, illegal campaign financing and receiving misappropriated Libyan public funds. The first trial charges included seeking funding from Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya, corruption, illegal campaign financing and receiving misappropriated Libyan public funds.

In the appeal trial prosecutors called Sarkozy an “instigator” of the alleged pact.

The alleged pact was to receive Libyan funding to boost his 2007 campaign in exchange for help restoring Muammar Gaddafi’s international image. Tripoli was blamed for two plane bombings.

“There was not a single cent of Libyan money" in the 2007 campaign, Sarkozy told the court. The appeal trial will end in two weeks from May 13, 2026. A decision in the appeal trial is expected on November 30. If convicted, Sarkozy could appeal to the Cour de Cassation. Sarkozy is 71 years old. Sarkozy has received two definitive convictions: one for campaign overspending in his 2012 re-election bid and another for trying to extract favours from a judge. He has faced a raft of accusations since leaving office, all of which he has denied.”