Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy will soon be imprisoned after he was sentenced to five years in jail on Thursday by a court that found him guilty of criminal conspiracy over dealings with Libya, an unprecedented punishment for a leading French political figure. The sentence was harsher than many expected, and a first in modern French political history. Sarkozy, who was president between 2007-2012, will spend time in jail even if he appeals the ruling. As he exited the courtroom, Sarkozy expressed his anger at the ruling. “What happened today … is of extreme gravity in regard to the rule of law, and for the trust one can have in the justice system,” he told reporters.
