France's top court upholds Nicolas Sarkozy's 2021 corruption conviction

France’s highest court has upheld the 2021 conviction of former President Nicolas Sarkozy on charges of corruption and influence peddling.

The Court of Cassation issued its decision on Wednesday, confirming the three-year prison sentence handed down to Sarkozy in a lower court. Two years of the sentence were suspended, and instead of serving time in prison, Sarkozy is required to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet for the remaining year.

Sarkozy's lawyer, Patrick Spinosi, has confirmed that the former president plans to appeal the verdict to the European Court of Human Rights. "The challenge that I will be bringing to the European Court of Human Rights may, alas, lead to a condemnation against France," Sarkozy said in a post on social media platform X. "I want to once again state that I am clearly innocent," he added.

Spinosi further confirmed that Sarkozy would comply with the court's decision and wear the electronic tag as required.

Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, was found guilty by a lower court of attempting to bribe a judge and trading influence for confidential information about an investigation into his 2007 campaign finances. The court concluded that Sarkozy had conspired to secure a job for Judge Gilbert Azibert in Monaco in exchange for inside information on an inquiry into allegations that Sarkozy had received illegal payments from L’Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt. Azibert was also convicted of corruption and influence peddling.

In addition to this case, Sarkozy, who retired from public life in 2017, faces further corruption charges. He is due to stand trial next year over claims that his 2007 presidential campaign was illegally funded by the Libyan government. Sarkozy denies all allegations, and if convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.

Sarkozy’s conviction makes him only the second French president in modern history to be found guilty of corruption charges. His predecessor, Jacques Chirac, was convicted of corruption in 2011, four years after leaving office.