Lead
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy told a Paris appeals court on Tuesday that he is innocent of charges that he sought Libyan financing for his successful 2007 presidential campaign, as he launched his challenge to a five-year prison sentence.
"I owe the truth to the French people," Sarkozy told a three-judge panel, according to multiple media reports. "I'm innocent," he added.
Sarkozy, 71, was convicted in September of criminal conspiracy for his alleged role in a scheme to obtain funds from the government of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in exchange for political and diplomatic favors. He served 20 days in prison before being released pending appeal, becoming France's first former president to be jailed.
Coverage Comparison
The appeal hearing has drawn consistent coverage across international outlets, with the AFP, France 24, and RFI reporting on the proceedings. The South China Morning Post also carried the story, providing additional detail on Sarkozy's defense.
All outlets reported Sarkozy's declaration of innocence, his five-year sentence, and the presence of his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, at the hearing. Several reports noted that Sarkozy argued not a single cent from Libya helped fund his campaign.
France 24 and RFI provided additional context about the case's origins, reporting on the alleged deal between Sarkozy's aides and Gaddafi, and the background of two airline bombings that the West blamed on Libya.
Key Claims
Sarkozy told the court that he was innocent and that no Libyan money was used in his 2007 campaign, according to reports from AFP, France 24, and RFI. "I owe the truth to the French people," he said, per multiple outlets.
A lower court found Sarkozy guilty of seeking to acquire funding from Gaddafi's Libya and sentenced him to five years in prison, all sources reported. The court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy but not of receiving or using the funds for his campaign, according to France 24.
The trial stems from allegations that Sarkozy's aides, acting in his name, struck a deal with Gaddafi in which they promised to help restore the Libyan leader's international image after Tripoli was blamed for two airline bombings: Pan Am Flight 103, which exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988, killing 259 people, and UTA Flight 772, which was downed over Niger in 1989, killing 170 people, including 54 French citizens.
Relatives of those killed in the 1989 bombing spoke of their ordeal at the appeal trial last week, according to France 24. Sarkozy told the courtroom: "You can only respond to such indescribable suffering with truth. But you cannot repair suffering with an injustice."
Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, faced questions about his role in the 2011 Western military intervention in Libya. According to the South China Morning Post, Sarkozy said he took the initiative for intervention after Gaddafi's government violently cracked down on anti-government protests. "I took the initiative, France took the initiative. Why? Because Gaddafi had no hold over me — financially, politically or personally," he said.
Perspectives
The appeal trial, which began last month, is expected to run for 12 weeks and will re-examine all evidence and testimony related to Sarkozy and nine co-defendants, including three former ministers. France 24 reported that a verdict is expected in the fall, and Sarkozy faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted on appeal.
The case is one of several legal battles for Sarkozy, who has already received two definitive convictions in other matters since leaving office, according to France 24.