Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy, marking the first time in modern French history that a former head of state has received a prison sentence.

A Paris court found the 70-year-old guilty of orchestrating a scheme to illegally fund his 2007 presidential campaign using money from the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. While acquitted of charges of passive corruption and illegal campaign financing, the court cited the “exceptional gravity” of the conspiracy.

Sarkozy was also fined €100,000, with the court ruling that he must serve the prison sentence even if he appeals.

Sarkozy denied any wrongdoing, calling the verdict a “scandal” and a “humiliation” for France. He plans to appeal the ruling. His wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, voiced her support for him and criticized media coverage of the case.

This conviction adds to Sarkozy’s previous legal troubles, including a 2024 conviction for campaign overspending and a 2021 bribery conviction. Despite these setbacks, he remains a prominent figure in French conservative politics.