Former French president Sarkozy sentenced to five years in prison for conspiracy

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy arrives at a courthouse in Paris (Christophe Ena/AP)

A Paris court has sentenced former French president Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison and – in a major surprise – said he will be jailed even if he appeals, after finding him guilty in his trial for alleged illegal campaign financing by Libya.

The court said the date of his incarceration will be decided later, sparing the 70-year-old the humiliation of being marched out of the courtroom by police officers and going straight to jail.