Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in prison after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 presidential campaign with Libyan funds, The Associated Press reported Thursday.
The ruling marks the first time in modern French history that a former president will serve time behind bars. The court in Paris said Sarkozy, 70, would not be taken into custody immediately but will begin serving his sentence on a date to be determined later.