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Sarkozy "absolutely" expects pardon and seeks to prove his innocence

29 September 2025 01:16 (UTC +04:00)

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that he "absolutely" does not expect a pardon after being sentenced to five years in prison in a case involving illegal Libyan funding for his 2007 election campaign. He stressed that he is working to prove his "integrity," in an interview published Sunday, APA reports.

A Paris court sentenced the former French president on Thursday to five years in prison after he "allowed his associates" to communicate with former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to obtain illegal funding for his 2007 election campaign.

When asked whether he expected a pardon from President Emmanuel Macron, Sarkozy answered, "No," in an interview published Sunday with the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche.

He explained, "In order to be pardoned, you must accept the sentence handed down to you and thus acknowledge your guilt. I will never admit to a crime I did not commit. I will fight to the end to have my integrity recognized," concluding with the words, "I will prevail."

A pardon only applies to a final, enforceable conviction, and therefore is not an option now that Sarkozy has announced his appeal.