Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrives with his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy for the verdict in his trial with other defendants on charges of corruption and illegal financing of an election campaign related to alleged Libyan funding of his successful 2007 presidential bid, at the courthouse in Paris, France, September 25, 2025. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq

PARIS (Reuters) -The Paris criminal court found former French president Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of criminal conspiracy in a case related to the provision of millions of euros in illegal financing from late Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi for his successful 2007 presidential bid.

Prosecutors alleged that Sarkozy, who has always denied the charges, made a deal with Gaddafi in 2005, when he was France's interior minister, to obtain campaign financing in exchange for supporting the then-isolated Libyan government on the international stage.

Sarkozy was acquitted of all other charges. The ruling is ongoing.

(Reporting by Juliette Jabkhiro; Writing by Makini Brice; editing by Richard Lough)