France strips Sarkozy of Legion of Honor

Nicolas Sarkozy has been stripped of the Legion of Honour, France's highest official distinction, following his final conviction for corruption, now that the former president has exhausted all available legal remedies.

A decree published today in the Official Gazette formalizes the withdrawal of the decoration, with retroactive effect to May 17, 2023, the date on which Sarkozy was sentenced to three years in prison, two of which were suspended.

The court found the former French president definitively guilty of attempting to bribe Supreme Court judge Gilbert Azibert to obtain confidential information related to another judicial investigation he was the target of.

Sarkozy, who led the country between 2007 and 2012, served part of his prison sentence under electronic surveillance for three months and was later granted conditional release because he was over 70.