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Nicolas Sarkozy is considering taking legal action before the European Court of Human Rights

2021-03-02T20:01:55.592Z


Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been convicted of bribery, but sees the decision as an "injustice". Now he is considering legal action against his country.


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Nicolas Sarkozy: "It would be painful for me to have my own country condemned"

Photo: Sadak Souici / Le Pictorium / imago images / Le Pictorium

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has spoken publicly for the first time since he was convicted of bribery.

"I have appealed against the decision, maybe I will have to fight this fight before the European Court of Human Rights," Sarkozy told the French newspaper Le Figaro.

"It would be painful for me to have my own country condemned," said Sarkozy: "But I am ready for it, because that is the price of democracy."

The 66-year-old also said he felt a "deep, shocking injustice" in the trial against him.

He couldn't accept being judged for something he didn't do.

Sarkozy was sentenced to three years in prison on Monday for bribery and illicit influence.

Two years of that were suspended.

According to the court's decision, he does not have to go to prison; he can serve the sentence at home under electronic surveillance.

Investigators are convinced that Sarkozy tried to bribe a Supreme Court judge in 2014 to obtain information on the status of an ongoing investigation against him.

With success: The judge, Gilbert Azibert, is said to have obtained Sarkozy secret information about investigations against him.

In addition, Azibert is said to have tried to influence his colleagues in favor of the former president.

In return, Sarkozy is said to have promised help to enable Azibert to find a position of his choice in the Principality of Monaco, which he never received.

No candidacy in the presidential election

Sarkozy had previously denied all allegations and said he was a victim of lies.

Shortly after the verdict, his lawyer announced that she would appeal.

The next trial against Sarkozy begins in two weeks, then it comes to the so-called Bygmalion affair and an inadmissible excess of Nicolas Sarkozy's election budget in 2012.

Before his conviction, Sarkozy was traded as a possible candidate for the 2022 presidential election.

In an interview with "Le Figaro" he said he would not run for office.

In due course, he will announce which candidate he supports.

Sarkozy was President of France from 2007 to 2012.

The 66-year-old is the first post-war French president to be charged with corruption.

The verdict is unprecedented in France: So far, in the Fifth Republic, founded in 1958, no previous head of state has been punished so severely.

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ptz / Reuters / dpa

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-03-02

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