Nicolas Sarkozy will be the first French President to go to prison. The 70-year-old politician has been found guilty by the Paris Criminal Court of criminal conspiracy in the case of suspected financing of his 2007 campaign by Muammar Gaddafi .

The sentence was handed down on Thursday with a deferred committal order, meaning that Sarkozy will not be going to prison immediately. But the provisional execution of the sentence means that it cannot be suspended by an appeal. The former president will be incarcerated in about a month's time. Like any prisoner, he will be able to apply for a modified sentence. As he is over 70, he will even be able to request this immediately after his sentence begins.

The news of Sarkozy's sentencing came as a political shock. Leaving the courtroom, the

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