Nicolas Sarkozy has no intention of asking Emmanuel Macron for a pardon

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, sentenced to a five-year suspended prison term in the case of illegal financing of his 2007 election campaign with Muammar Gaddafi's Libyan money, does not intend to ask for a pardon from the current leader Emmanuel Macron. This was announced by his lawyer Jean-Michel Darrouze on September 26, 2025, on BFMTV channel. "He is not thinking of asking the president for a pardon, as he intends to prove his innocence," the lawyer emphasized, confirming plans to appeal. According to Reuters and Le Monde, the sentence was handed down on September 25 by the Paris Criminal Court, where Sarkozy was found guilty only of criminal conspiracy, and acquitted of other charges – passive corruption and concealment of embezzlement. Sarkozy, who attended the session with his wife Carla Bruni, called the verdict a "blatant mistake" and "political revenge".

The case, which lasted 15 years, concerns a "corruption pact" from 2005-2007: the prosecution claimed that Libya allocated 50 million euros for Sarkozy's campaign in exchange for help in "cleansing" Gaddafi's reputation in the West. Evidence included testimony from Libyan officials and notebooks of former Oil Minister Shukri Ghanem. Judge Natasha Gavarino noted the "compatibility of chronology" but the absence of direct evidence of corruption. Key witness Ziad Takieddine, a Franco-Lebanese businessman, died of a heart attack on September 23, 2025, two days before the verdict, having previously recanted his testimony about "suitcases of cash".

Sarkozy, the 70-year-old former leader (2007-2012), has already been convicted in two cases: in 2021 - one year in prison for corruption (replaced by an ankle monitor), in 2024 - three years for influence peddling. His associates Claude Guéant and Brice Hortefeux were also found guilty of conspiracy, while treasurer Eric Woerth was acquitted. Sarkozy: "I will sleep in prison with my head held high." The opposition demands his exclusion from politics. The appeal will drag on: the execution of the sentence is postponed for a month.