France's highest court has delivered a final verdict, upholding the conviction of former President Nicolas Sarkozy on charges of corruption and influence peddling. The 69-year-old former head of state faces a one-year prison sentence, likely to be served under house arrest with electronic monitoring. This decision marks the culmination of legal proceedings that began with a 2021 Paris court ruling and was subsequently confirmed by an appeals court in 2023.

The Court of Cassation's statement confirms the finality of the convictions and sentences. Sarkozy's legal troubles stem from attempts to bribe a magistrate for confidential information regarding a separate legal case involving him. Despite retiring from public life in 2017, Sarkozy maintains a prominent role in French conservative politics, recently attending the Notre Dame Cathedral reopening.

Responding to the verdict on social media, Sarkozy stated his intention to accept responsibility for the consequences while maintaining his innocence and denouncing the perceived injustice. He plans to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, seeking to overturn the French courts' decision.

Sarkozy's lawyer confirmed his client's intention to comply with the ruling, which includes wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet. This case represents a historic first for modern France, marking the first time a former president has received a prison sentence for actions committed during their term. While Sarkozy's predecessor, Jacques Chirac, was convicted of misusing public funds during his time as Paris mayor, he received a suspended sentence.

This is not Sarkozy's only legal challenge. He faces an upcoming trial concerning allegations of accepting millions of dollars from former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi to finance his 2007 presidential campaign. The current corruption case revolves around 2014 phone conversations between Sarkozy and his lawyer, Thierry Herzog, using unregistered phones under the alias "Paul Bismuth." These conversations revealed attempts to offer magistrate Gilbert Azibert a position in Monaco in return for information about a separate legal case involving Sarkozy. Although Azibert never received the position, and the case Sarkozy sought information about was eventually dropped, the offer itself constitutes corruption under French law.

Both Azibert and Herzog have also been found guilty in connection with this case. Sarkozy continues to maintain his innocence across all legal proceedings.