On Monday, a French court sentenced former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to three years in prison due to corruption and influence peddling. However, two years of the sentence have been suspended. Sarkozy was found guilty of trying to illegally obtain information from a senior magistrate about an ongoing investigation into his campaign finances. Sarkozy will not serve his sentence in jail and will rather be on house arrest for the duration of the sentence.
The sentencing marked the first time in France’s modern history that a former president has been sentenced to jail. Sarkozy will serve time alongside his former magistrate Gilbert Azibert and lawyer Thierry Herzog, who were both found guilty of similar crimes and handed prison sentences. Sarkozy’s trial began at the end of last year after a long investigation and several legal entanglements.
Read More: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced to jail in historic ruling