Nicolas Sarkozy: Seven years in prison requested on appeal in the Libyan affair

The public prosecutor's office requested seven years in prison on Wednesday against Nicolas Sarkozy In the appeal trial concerning the alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign, the former head of state was sentenced to the same term as the one requested in the first instance. He is suspected of having benefited from illicit funds paid by Muammar Gaddafi's regime to finance his election. The prosecutors are thus maintaining their firm stance against the former president, who is being tried alongside nine other defendants in this political and financial case that dates back more than fifteen years.

Heavy sentences for relatives

Former Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux also faces a severe sentence, with the prosecution requesting four years' imprisonment, two of which are suspended. As for Claude Guéant, Nicolas Sarkozy's former right-hand man at the Élysée Palace and a central figure in the case, the public prosecutor's office is seeking a six-year prison sentence and a €100,000 fine. These requests underscore the seriousness of the charges against the former president's close associates in this complex affair.

A case that has been going on for fifteen years

This appeal trial comes after an initial conviction that had already shaken the French political establishment. The defendants contest all the accusations against them and have maintained their innocence since the start of these legal proceedings. The verdict is expected in the coming weeks and could mark a further turning point in the legal saga of Nicolas Sarkozy, who has already been convicted in other cases.