Former French president Sarkozy begins five-year prison term

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy began serving a five-year prison sentence at La Santé Prison in Paris after being convicted of criminal conspiracy linked to alleged campaign financing from late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Sarkozy, 70, called the sentence a “judicial scandal” on social media, asserting his innocence. His lawyer confirmed a request for release has been filed. Although Sarkozy has appealed, the Paris Criminal Court ordered the sentence to take immediate effect due to the “exceptional seriousness” of the offenses, making him the first former French president in modern history to serve prison time.

Credit : CGTN