French prosecutors have called for a seven-year prison sentence for former President Nicolas Sarkozy over the alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign.
According to Le Figaro, prosecutors consider Sarkozy the "instigator of a corrupt pact with Libyans."
Prosecutor Damien Bruyne stated: "Without Sarkozy, all these meetings and transfers would have been meaningless."
Allegations that Muammar Gaddafi funded Sarkozy's campaign first emerged in March 2011. Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam demanded repayment of funds, which the Elysée Palace denied.
In May 2012, Mediapart reported that Gaddafi allocated €50 million to Sarkozy's campaign and published a document.
Sarkozy was convicted in September 2025 of involvement in a criminal group and sentenced to five years, though the court did not confirm illegal campaign financing. He began serving his sentence in October but was released on judicial supervision pending appeal.
