France’s highest appeals court has made history by upholding a corruption conviction against former President Nicolas Sarkozy, ordering him to wear an electronic tag for a year. This landmark decision marks the first time a former head of state has been sentenced to wear an electronic monitoring device.
Sarkozy’s lawyer, Patrice Spinosi, stated that his client will “evidently” respect the terms of the conviction, as per AFP. However, Spinosi also announced plans to appeal the decision to the European Court of Human Rights within weeks.
It’s worth noting that Sarkozy was previously found guilty of attempting to secure favors from a judge. The Court of Cassation’s verdict confirms his conviction for corruption and influence peddling.
Spinosi said that they would try to prove his innocence through all legal means, according to The Guardian.
After leaving office in 2012, he was found guilty trying to bribe a judge and of peddling influence for confidential information about an investigation regarding his 2007 campaign finances.
Sarkozy was found conspiring to secure a job for a judge in Monaco in exchange for information about an investigation into claims that he had accepted payments from L’Oréal’s heir Liliane Bettencourt.
Along with Sarkozy, the judge was also convicted for corruption and influence peddling.
is set to face trial for corruption and illegal financing related to alleged Libyan funding of his 2007 presidential campaign. Sarkozy has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
If convicted, Sarkozy could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. This isn’t the first time a French president has faced conviction; Jacques Chirac, Sarkozy’s predecessor and fellow conservative, was found guilty of corruption in 2011, four years after leaving office.
