Nicolas Sarkozy appeared in court on Monday as his appeal trial began over the Libyan campaign financing scandal, in which he had previously received a five-year prison sentence last year. The appeal proceedings are scheduled to continue until 3 June.
The high-profile case, unprecedented in French politics, centers on allegations that Sarkozy arranged to receive funding from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddhafi for his 2007 presidential campaign.
Reports suggest the deal was orchestrated by two of Sarkozy’s close aides, with Gaddhafi allegedly offering financial support in exchange for France helping to restore Libya’s international standing.
During the first trial in Paris, Sarkozy was convicted of criminal conspiracy, though the court did not confirm that he actually received or used the Libyan funds for his campaign.
He was sentenced in September to five years in prison and spent twenty days in detention before being released. Sarkozy immediately appealed, maintaining his innocence.
With the start of the appeals trial, he is once again presumed innocent, and the proceedings are expected to last until early June.