Sarkozy accused of betraying terror victims in Libya funding trial

Guillaume Denoix de Saint Marc carries the weight of a decades-long quest for justice following his father's death. His father, a senior executive at the oil company Elf Aquitaine, perished in a 1989 plane bombing over Niger. The family's hope for survival turned to grief upon learning from news reports that the aircraft had disintegrated mid-air. Denoix de Saint Marc, then 26, discovered the bombing was attributed to the regime of Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi. This personal tragedy has intertwined with a high-profile legal battle involving former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Prosecutors believe Sarkozy accepted illicit funding from Gaddafi's regime for his 2007 presidential campaign. In exchange, they allege, Sarkozy aided regime terrorists responsible for the deaths of 170 people, including Denoix de Saint Marc's father. Sarkozy was previously sentenced to five years in prison for campaign finance violations. He denies all accusations, asserting his innocence and claiming the charges are based on falsehoods and conspiracy theories. A court had allowed him to await his appeal verdict outside of prison after he served three weeks of his sentence, but he has complained about a hostile judiciary. The appeal trial, concluding with closing arguments from his lawyers, centers on these grave allegations.

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I have not betrayed France.