Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday departed his home to begin serving a prison sentence after being convicted of illegally seeking campaign funds from Libya for his 2007 presidential bid.The court found Sarkozy guilty of corruption and illicit campaign financing linked to millions of euros allegedly provided by the regime of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Sarkozy, who has consistently denied wrongdoing, is the first former French head of state in modern history to be sentenced to actual prison time. His legal team has indicated plans to appeal the ruling, maintaining that the case is politically motivated.
The conviction marks another blow to Sarkozy’s legacy, following earlier legal troubles involving influence peddling and campaign overspending.