Paris — A Paris court on Thursday sentenced former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison after finding him guilty of criminal conspiracy in an alleged scheme to finance his 2007 campaign with funds from Libya . In a surprise decision, the court ruled that Sarkozy will be incarcerated even if he appeals, but it also said the date of the sentencing would come later, sparing the 70-year-old the humiliation of being led from the courtroom in handcuffs.

The court found Sarkozy guilty of criminal association in a plot from 2005 to 2007 to finance his campaign with funds from Libya, in exchange for diplomatic favors. It cleared him of three other charges, including passive corruption, illegal campaign financing and concealment of the embezzlement of public funds.

Sarko

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