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Final sentence. The Paris Court of Cassation has rejected the appeal of former president Nicolas Sarkozy. The three-year prison sentence thus becomes definitive, one of which without parole, to be served with an electronic bracelet (but next month the Gaullist leader turns 70 and will also be able to avoid this type of sanction). There are also three years of ineligibility.
Sarkozy was found guilty of corruption and influence peddling in the Bismuth case. Sarkozy, together with his historic lawyer Thierry Herzog, entered into a corrupt pact with a senior magistrate of the Court of Cassation, Gilbert Azibert, to obtain information and attempt to influence an appeal presented by the former president in the Bettencourt affair, concerning some alleged illicit financing of the 2007 presidential campaign (for which proceedings were declared non-proceeding). In exchange, Azibert would be promised help with his career. Sarkozy, Herzog and Azibert were all sentenced to the same sentence.
The former president “will obviously comply with the sanction pronounced”, explained his lawyer, Patrice Spinosi, but “in the next few days” he will present an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights “to obtain the guarantee of the rights that the French judges give him they denied.” “I am not willing to accept the profound injustice done to me”, the former head of State wrote on [la sua] perfect innocence.” “I will assume my responsibilities and face all the consequences,” he added.
Sarkozy’s judicial vicissitudes are not over. On January 6, the trial, which will last four months, on suspected illicit Libyan financing for the 2007 electoral campaign, will open at the Paris court, while during the course of the year the Court of Cassation will have to rule on the former president’s appeal against his sentenced to one year in prison, of which six months suspended, in the Bygmalion case, relating to excessive spending on his 2012 election campaign.
