Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy stands trial in Paris from January 6 to April 10, accused of accepting funds from ex-Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 presidential campaign.
The charges include corruption, criminal conspiracy, misappropriation of public funds, and illegal campaign financing. Sarkozy allegedly formed a “corruption pact” with Gaddafi in 2005, promising diplomatic and economic favors in exchange for financial support.
The trial also highlights allegations of obstruction, including attempts to interfere with judicial processes, manipulate evidence, and withhold critical intelligence documents, raising serious questions about accountability and transparency at the highest levels of government.
The case involves 13 defendants, including former ministers Claude Guéant, Brice Hortefeux, and Eric Woerth. Investigators uncovered evidence of secret cash transfers, offshore accounts, and large withdrawals by intermediaries such as Ziad Takieddine and Alexandre Djouhri. A 2007 Libyan intelligence document indicated a €50 million pledge, though the exact amount delivered remains uncertain. Key Libyan officials, including Abdallah Senoussi, allegedly facilitated payments.
Despite Sarkozy’s defense claiming retaliation for his role in Gaddafi’s 2011 overthrow, judges have cited evidence of financial flows linked to his campaign. The trial includes procedural disputes over jurisdiction and allegations of investigation obstruction.
Victims of the 1989 UTA DC-10 bombing, orchestrated by Libyan intelligence under Senoussi and carried out in retaliation for Western support of anti-Libyan forces in Chad, have joined the trial as civil parties. They view Sarkozy’s alleged financial dealings with Senoussi—a convicted terrorist responsible for the deaths of 170 people, including 54 French nationals—as a grave betrayal of justice and their suffering.