PARIS,— A French court on Friday sentenced a jihadist linked to the Islamic State group to life in prison for crimes committed against Iraq’s Yazidi minority, marking the first such case heard in France.

The Paris Assizes Court convicted Sabri Essid in absentia of genocide, crimes against humanity and complicity in those acts tied to events between 2014 and 2016, when Islamic State controlled large parts of northern Syria and Iraq.

Presiding judge Marc Sommerer said in court that Essid had taken part in what he described as a genocide carried out by the militant group.

He added that Essid was involved in a network that repeatedly bought and sold Yazidi victims. The court concluded the group had deliberately targeted the Yazidi community because of their religion.

Islamic State viewed the Yazidis, who follow a pre-Islamic belief system, as heretics.

Essid, born in France in 1984, traveled to Syria in 2014 and joined the militant group. He is believed to have died in 2018, but without confirmed proof of his death, French authorities proceeded with a trial in his absence.

Prosecutors said Essid purchased Yazidi women in slave markets, subjected them to repeated rape, and deprived them of food and water.

Islamic State declared a self-styled caliphate in 2014 after capturing large areas across Syria and neighboring Iraq.

In August that year, fighters killed thousands of Yazidi men in Iraq’s Sinjar province and transported thousands of women and girls into Syria, where they were sold as sex slaves to militants.

United Nations investigators have classified these actions as genocide.

A Yazidi woman testified before the court on Thursday, describing the conditions she faced while held in Syria. She said she was raped almost daily by her first two captors, identified as a Saudi man and later Essid.

She told the court she was sold to six additional men before escaping with her daughter and reaching a Kurdish-controlled position after walking through the night.

Judge Sommerer said he had presided over several cases involving crimes against humanity but had not previously heard such accounts. The woman’s identity was withheld to protect her privacy, as reported by AFP.

Essid, also known in Syria as Abu Dojanah al-Faransi, was believed to have ties to Jean-Michel Clain and Fabien Clain, who claimed responsibility on behalf of Islamic State for the 2015 attacks in Paris.

Lawyers involved in the case stressed the importance of holding such trials even when suspects are presumed dead.

Patrick Baudouin of the Human Rights League said it was necessary to proceed because some fighters previously thought dead have reappeared.

Clemence Bectarte, representing Yazidi survivors and their children, said the case helped document serious abuses and the organized campaign against the Yazidis.

After traveling to Syria, Essid was joined by his wife, their three children, and her son from an earlier relationship. In a 2015 propaganda video released by Islamic State, Essid appeared encouraging his 12-year-old stepson to shoot a Palestinian hostage.

His wife has been imprisoned since returning to France.

Similar legal cases have taken place across Europe. A German court in 2021 became the first in the world to recognize crimes against the Yazidi community as genocide.

It sentenced an Iraqi man to life in prison after finding him responsible for the death of a five-year-old Yazidi girl who had been chained outdoors in extreme heat.

A Swedish court last month convicted a 52-year-old woman of genocide for enslaving Yazidi women and children in Syria in 2015.

U.S.-backed forces defeated the territorial control of Islamic State in 2019, although small cells remain active in parts of the Syrian desert.

Hussein Qaidi, head of the Kidnapped Yazidi Rescue Office, told AFP that 6,416 Yazidis were abducted by Islamic State, with more than half later rescued.

The events that led to these crimes began in August 2014, when Islamic State militants attacked the Sinjar district in northwest Iraq, an area home to a large Yazidi population.

The assault followed the withdrawal of Kurdish militia forces loyal to tribal leader and former Iraqi Kurdistan president Massoud Barzani and his KDP Peshmerga, who withdrew from the area without resistance, exposing civilians to the attack.

Thousands of Yazidi families fled to Mount Sinjar, where many became trapped without sufficient food or water. During this period, large numbers of Yazidis were killed or abducted, and many women were subjected to rape and captivity.

Thousands of women were sold into sexual slavery and transported across Iraq, Syria, and beyond. Men and boys were killed, forced into labor, or recruited as child soldiers.

An unpublished report by the Kurdistan Regional Government stated that about 18,000 Peshmerga fighters were present but retreated on Barzani’s orders without mounting a defense when Islamic State attacked Sinjar on August 3, 2014.

During the attack, nearly 10,000 Yazidis were killed and more than 6,800 women and children were taken captive.

While thousands have since been freed, nearly 3,000 remain missing, according to official figures.

The failure of KDP Peshmerga forces to protect the population led many Yazidis to lose trust in the leadership of Massoud Barzani. Critics, including Yazidi figures and Kurdish political observers, have held Barzani responsible for the events that led to the massacre.

International recognition of the killings as genocide has grown over time. The United Nations described the attacks as a possible genocide in 2015.

In 2016, the European Union, the United States, the United Nations and the British Parliament formally recognized the killings as genocide.

Armenia followed in 2018, while the Netherlands and Belgium issued recognition in 2021. Luxembourg’s parliament did so in November 2022, and Germany’s parliament in January 2023. The British government acknowledged the acts as genocide in August 2023, and Switzerland followed in December 2024.

The Yazidis are a Kurdish-speaking religious minority with beliefs linked to Zoroastrianism and Sufism, with roots in ancient Mesopotamia.

Before the 2014 attack, around 600,000 Yazidis lived in Iraqi Kurdistan and nearby areas in Nineveh province. As Islamic State advanced, about 360,000 managed to flee, according to the Yazidi Rescue Office.

(With files from AFP | Agencies)

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Drone attack wounds six French troops at base in Iraqi Kurdistan

PARIS,— A French soldier was killed during an attack in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday. The announcement marks the first French military death linked to the ongoing Middle East war.

Macron said the member of the armed forces died during an attack in the Erbil region of Iraq.

The president wrote in a post on X that the soldier “died for France” and confirmed that several other troops were wounded in the same strike.

France has not identified who carried out the attack.

The incident happened as tensions across the Middle East have risen sharply. Fighting expanded across the region after US Israeli strikes on Iran last month, drawing several countries and armed groups into the conflict.

Since then, a number of attacks blamed on factions aligned with Iran have targeted areas where foreign troops are stationed. Those forces are deployed as part of an international coalition working with Iraq against jihadist groups.

Earlier this week, a pro Iranian Iraqi group warned that French interests in the region could be targeted.

The warning followed the arrival of a French aircraft carrier in what the group described as the operational area of the American Central Command.

A statement published on the Telegram channel of Ashab Alkahf also urged what it called “our brothers in the security forces” to stay away from a base where it said French troops were stationed. The group did not claim responsibility for the strike.

French military officials said drones struck a base where French soldiers were taking part in counter terrorism training with Iraqi forces.

Officials in Iraqi Kurdistan provided further details about the incident. The governor of Erbil said two drones were involved in the strike and that the attack hit a base in Mala Qara, about 40 kilometers from the regional capital.

The French military reported Thursday that six soldiers were wounded in the attack. It was not immediately clear whether the soldier who died was among those injured.

At least six French soldiers were wounded when drones targeted a joint base used by Kurdish Peshmerga militia forces and French troops in the Makhmour area of Iraq, Erbil Governor Omed Koshnaw said in a statement.

Macron condemned the strike, saying the war in Iran could not justify attacks on French troops. He called the assault unacceptable.

The death followed another recent drone attack that targeted an Italian base in Erbil inside a military compound hosting foreign forces.

No injuries were reported in that incident, though Italy later said it was temporarily withdrawing its personnel.

Troops from several countries, including France and Italy, are in Iraqi Kurdistan to train Kurdish security forces under the US led coalition against jihadist groups.

Macron said their presence in Iraq remains strictly tied to the fight against terrorism and stressed that France’s position in the wider Middle East conflict is strictly defensive.

(With files from AFP | Reuters)

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BAGHDAD,— The French Embassy in Baghdad on Monday urged its citizens to leave Iraqi Kurdistan, citing what it described as a worsening security situation in the region.

In a message sent to French nationals living in the autonomous Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, the embassy said that due to the deteriorating regional security climate and recent strikes on the Kurdistan region, French citizens should depart through Turkey.

The advisory followed Iraq’s decision on Saturday to close its airspace.

Iraq, which has regained relative stability in recent years, has long been an arena for rivalry between the United States and Iran.

Iraqi authorities have said they do not want the country to be drawn into the current conflict. However, developments in recent days have affected parts of the country.

Since the early hours of the campaign against Iran, strikes attributed to the United States and Israel have targeted armed groups backed by Tehran. Those groups have vowed to respond.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said on Monday that Iran continues to shell areas in the Kurdistan Region, especially Erbil.

He added that the opposing side has targeted sites in southern and western Iraq, without directly naming either the United States or Israel.

On Sunday, nine fighters from Iran-backed groups were killed in separate airstrikes. Five of them were members of Kataeb Hezbollah.

Several Iraqi armed factions aligned with Iran, operating under the umbrella of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, including Kataeb Hezbollah, have said they will not remain neutral and will defend the Islamic republic.

Since the launch of the US-Israel campaign, drones have been intercepted several times over Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region. The city hosts troops from the US-led coalition and a large US consulate compound.

On Monday, loud explosions were heard as air defense systems shot down drones near Erbil airport, where foreign forces are stationed.

(With files from AFP)

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PARIS,— French far-right politician Marine Le Pen sharply criticized President Emmanuel Macron and the French government for what she described as a lack of support for Kurdish forces in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava).

Le Pen, leader of the National Rally party, argued that Kurdish fighters who played a central role in defeating ISIS are now being abandoned by Western powers.

In a post on the social media platform X, Le Pen condemned Macron for recently meeting with senior Syrian officials at the Élysée Palace. Some of these officials, she said, were former jihadists. Le Pen accused the French president of legitimizing Islamist actors, which she claims has contributed to the ongoing persecution of communities in Syria.

Le Pen wrote, “The Kurds are dying. Those who courageously led the fight against the Islamic State are being abandoned, and the international community is looking away. Emmanuel Macron has once again failed in a tragic way by welcoming Syria’s self-proclaimed president, a former jihadist associated with Daesh and Al-Qaeda. By giving legitimacy to Islamism, the President now bears a heavy responsibility for the persecution of minorities in Syria.”

The Kurdish forces drove the Islamic State out of its last area in eastern Syria, in the village of Baghouz, in March 2019. Since then, Kurdish authorities have held around 12,000 people suspected of being IS members in their prisons.

More than 21,000 Kurdish fighters, both men and women, have died fighting against ISIS and Syrian Islamist groups backed by Turkey.

Le Pen’s statements follow recent attacks by the Syrian government’s Islamist army on areas controlled by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF. The SDF has been a key partner of the international coalition against ISIS.

On Tuesday, a ceasefire was announced to halt operations in the Kurdish regions of Hasaka and Kobane. The Kurds have been given four days to present a plan for integrating its fighters into the Syrian army, with the deadline set for Saturday. Kurdish leaders fear that this process could undermine self-administration in their regions.

Le Pen’s comments reflect concerns shared by Kurdish supporters and international observers, who note that Western priorities have shifted since ISIS was weakened. Many argue that the Kurds now face political isolation despite their role in the anti-ISIS campaign.

Western countries have condemned the Syrian government’s recent attacks on Kurdish areas. However, political analyst Henase Karin told iKurd.net that these criticisms carry little weight without concrete action against Sharra, Syria’s interim president and former leader of ISIS and Al-Qaeda, or without providing military or humanitarian aid to Syrian Kurds.

Israel has also expressed support for the Syrian Kurds, though largely through statements rather than concrete actions.

In a 2024 article, Michael Rubin wrote that Israel should “put up or shut up” regarding the Kurds. He also criticized Israeli policy in 2019, saying that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s symbolic support for the Kurds “helps no one.”

Observers say that some Arab and Islamic countries, and TV channels, especially Qatar’s Al Jazeera, misrepresent the facts about the Kurds.

They often portray Kurds as the “bad” actors in Syria, label Kurdish forces as “terrorists,” suggest that the Kurdish forces in Rojava lack support from local Syrian Kurds, and refer to the SDF, YPG, or YPJ groups as the PKK, instead of recognizing them as Kurdish protection forces of Rojava Kurdistan.

At the same time, these Arabic and Islamic media outlets do not publish reports on the crimes committed by the Syrian government Islamist army against the Kurdish population.

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PARIS,— Brigitte Bardot, the French film star who rose to global fame in the 1950s and later became a high-profile animal rights activist, has died at the age of 91.

Bardot died Sunday at her home in southern France, the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the protection of animals said. Bruno Jacquelin, a representative of the foundation, confirmed the death and said no cause had been released.

He added that funeral or memorial arrangements had not yet been announced. Bardot had been hospitalized in recent weeks.

Bardot was one of the most recognizable figures in postwar European cinema and a defining symbol of France’s cultural shift during the late 1950s and 1960s.

Her film career, which included more than two dozen movies, made her an international icon, while her later political and activist positions frequently placed her at the center of controversy.

She became an international star with the 1956 film And God Created Woman, directed by Roger Vadim, whom she had married several years earlier. The film portrayed Bardot as a young woman whose sexuality openly defied social conventions.

Scenes of her dancing barefoot and wearing revealing clothing caused public debate and censorship efforts in some countries. Despite the criticism, the film was a box office success and established her reputation worldwide.

At the height of her career, Bardot symbolized a France moving away from traditional bourgeois values. Her blond hair, distinctive voice, and public image made her one of the most photographed women of her time.

While her popularity was immense, Bardot later said she found fame overwhelming and described long struggles with depression.

In 1969, her cultural influence was formally recognized when her likeness was chosen as a model for Marianne, the national emblem of France. Her image appeared in town halls, on postage stamps, and on official government seals. French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X that the country was mourning a legend.

Bardot retired from acting in 1973 at the age of 39 and withdrew from public entertainment life. She later reemerged as a campaigner for animal welfare, founding the Brigitte Bardot Foundation in the mid 1980s. She sold personal possessions, including jewelry and film memorabilia, to finance the organization.

Her activism included opposition to seal hunting, criticism of animal testing, and campaigns against the consumption of certain meats.

She also spoke out strongly against religious slaughter practices, particularly those associated with Muslim traditions. In an interview with The Associated Press in 2007, she said her past fame had little meaning compared to the suffering of animals.

In 1985, Bardot received the Legion of Honor, France’s highest award, in recognition of her animal protection work. Over time, however, her public statements increasingly focused on immigration and religion, drawing legal action.

French courts convicted and fined her five times for inciting racial hatred, rulings linked to her remarks about Muslim slaughter practices and immigration.

Her political shift became more pronounced after her 1992 marriage to Bernard d’Ormale, a former adviser to National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen. Bardot later expressed admiration for Le Pen and supported Marine Le Pen’s presidential campaign in 2012.

Marine Le Pen, now leader of the National Rally party, described Bardot as an exceptional woman following her death.

In 2018, during the MeToo movement, Bardot criticized actors who spoke publicly about sexual harassment in the film industry. She said many exaggerated their experiences and stated she had not been a victim herself.

Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot was born on Sept. 28, 1934, in Paris to a wealthy family. She trained as a ballet dancer and entered modeling as a teenager. At age 14, she appeared on the cover of Elle magazine. Bardot later described her childhood as strict and said her father imposed harsh discipline.

Her marriage to Vadim in 1952 marked the beginning of her film career. And God Created Woman influenced a generation of filmmakers, including Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut, and came to represent the sexual freedom associated with the 1960s.

Bardot later criticized her early acting performances, saying she felt inexperienced and undervalued. Her personal relationships were widely publicized, including her affair with actor Jean-Louis Trintignant.

In 1959, she married actor Jacques Charrier and gave birth to her only child, Nicolas. Bardot later said intense media attention contributed to a suicide attempt after her son’s birth. She acknowledged that she was unprepared for motherhood and allowed Charrier to raise the child.

Her third marriage was to German businessman Gunther Sachs in 1966. The couple divorced three years later.

Her films included A Parisian, In Case of Misfortune, The Truth, Private Life, Contempt, Shalako, Women, The Bear And The Doll, Rum Boulevard, and Don Juan. Many of the productions emphasized her appearance rather than complex storytelling.

After leaving the film industry, Bardot lived quietly in St. Tropez. Following her death, local authorities called for respect for the privacy of her family and the places where she lived.

In later years, Bardot continued international animal rights campaigns, writing to world leaders and criticizing traditional practices involving animals. Environmental activist Paul Watson, who worked with her for decades, said disagreements over her political views did not alter her dedication to animal causes.

Bardot once told the AP that she identified with animals pursued by hunters because of her own experience with relentless media attention. Her life combined global fame, cultural influence, and lasting controversy.

(With files from AP)

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PARIS,— A French criminal court on Tuesday sentenced eight men, including two Iraqi Kurds identified as organizers of the smuggling route, to prison terms ranging from three to fifteen years for their roles in the 2023 Channel disaster that killed seven migrants attempting to reach the United Kingdom.

The defendants were found guilty on charges that included involuntary manslaughter connected to the capsizing of an overloaded boat.

The group on trial consisted of two Iraqi nationals, six Afghans and one Sudanese man. Prosecutors said the accused helped manage a migrant-smuggling network responsible for arranging illegal passages from northern France toward British shores.

The proceedings were part of continuing efforts by French authorities to dismantle criminal groups operating between France, Germany and the UK.

The two 45-year-old Iraqi Kurds received the longest sentences of twelve and fifteen years.

Investigators described them as the principal coordinators responsible for organizing routes and logistical support that ultimately contributed to the fatal journey in which seven Afghans drowned after the vessel’s engine reportedly failed.

The remaining convicted defendants, aged 23 to 45, received penalties consistent with what prosecutors requested.

A ninth man, a Sudanese national from Darfur, was acquitted following a request by the prosecutor’s office, which argued he should be recognized as a victim rather than treated as a participant in the operation.

Authorities said he had been placed on the boat under circumstances that did not justify criminal responsibility.

During the ruling, the presiding judge stated that the defendants exploited people facing significant vulnerability and seeking passage to Britain.

The judge said that those convicted of manslaughter created the conditions that led to the deaths and exposed the other passengers to immediate danger before rescue teams could intervene.

Most of the defendants denied involvement in the crossing or in the network behind it. The Sudanese man who was acquitted addressed the court about the tragedy but denied operating the vessel.

Investigators determined that sixty-seven people had been placed on the boat when it overturned in August 2023.

All seven fatalities were Afghan nationals, while sixty other passengers were rescued through a combined response from French and British emergency services.

The investigative file presented to the court described the smuggling operation as a structured system with organizers in both France and Germany.

Officials said an Iraqi-Kurdish group based in Germany handled logistics, while an Afghan group oversaw migrant recruitment.

France and the United Kingdom have introduced cooperative measures aimed at reducing irregular migration to Britain and targeting the smuggling networks involved.

French courts continue to handle similar cases, including one earlier this year in Lille, where a separate group of Afghans and Iraqi Kurds received prison terms following a 2022 capsizing that resulted in eight deaths.

(With files from AFP)

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PARIS,— Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president of France, returned home Monday after a Paris court allowed his release from prison while he challenges his conviction in a high-profile case involving alleged Libyan funding of his 2007 election campaign.

Sarkozy, 70, had been jailed since October 21, 2025 following a guilty verdict handed down in September for criminal conspiracy.

The court found that members of his political circle sought financial contributions from Libya’s then-leader Muammar Gaddafi during Sarkozy’s first presidential run.

A three-judge panel ruled that Sarkozy did not pose a flight risk and could therefore remain free as his appeal proceeds. He remains under judicial control, which prevents him from leaving France and prohibits any contact with Justice Ministry officials. The public prosecutor’s office had earlier recommended his conditional release.

According to the court’s statement, the decision to free Sarkozy does not indicate whether his appeal has merit but was based solely on procedural grounds. His legal team said he would continue to contest all accusations against him.

After returning home, Sarkozy posted on the platform X, writing, “Truth will prevail. Life has taught us this.”

He said he would dedicate his efforts to preparing his appeal and added, “The end of this story is not yet written.” His son Louis shared a message on social media reading “Vive la liberté,” alongside a photo of the two taken years earlier.

Sarkozy was serving a five-year sentence at La Santé Prison in Paris, a punishment the court described as justified by the “exceptional gravity” of the charges.

The brief incarceration marked an unprecedented moment for a former French president, highlighting his continued legal troubles since leaving office in 2012.

During Monday’s hearing, Sarkozy appeared via video link rather than in person. He told the judges that he accepted all conditions set by the court.

“I am French. I love my country. I will comply with every obligation imposed on me,” he said. He described prison life as “very hard, as it must be for any detainee,” and called the experience “draining.”

Sarkozy maintains that he is the target of political revenge. Since stepping down from the presidency, he has faced a string of investigations and convictions.

Last year, France’s top court confirmed a separate ruling for corruption and influence peddling, requiring him to wear an electronic bracelet for one year. That sentence has since ended.

Another appeals court also upheld his conviction for illegal campaign financing tied to his failed 2012 re-election bid.

The country’s highest judicial authority is expected to deliver a final ruling on that case this month. French judicial officials said Sarkozy remains under investigation in a separate case involving possible witness tampering.

(With files from Reuters)

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PARIS,— Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy began serving a five-year prison sentence on Tuesday after being convicted of conspiring to illegally raise campaign funds from Libya, marking an unprecedented moment in modern French politics.

Sarkozy, 70, who governed France from 2007 to 2012, was taken to the La Santé prison in Paris. He was accompanied by his wife, Carla Bruni, and greeted by supporters who gathered outside their home, chanting “Nicolas, Nicolas” and singing the French national anthem, La Marseillaise.

The sentence follows his conviction last month on charges that he conspired with aides to secure millions of euros from former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to finance his 2007 presidential campaign.

Sarkozy is the first French president to be jailed since Marshal Philippe Pétain, who collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II.

Before leaving for prison, Sarkozy released a statement on X, declaring his innocence. “It is not a former president who is being imprisoned this morning; it is an innocent man,” he said, describing the case as “the result of revenge and hatred.”

Although the court ruled that Sarkozy conspired to obtain illicit funds, he was acquitted of personally accepting or using the money. He has repeatedly denied all accusations and said the case was politically driven.

His legal team said they have filed for early release while his appeal is pending. According to his lawyers, the request is expected to be reviewed within weeks, with hopes that Sarkozy could be home by Christmas.

Officials confirmed that Sarkozy will be held in an isolation unit at La Santé, where inmates occupy single-person cells and are separated during outdoor breaks for security reasons.

Each cell measures roughly 100 to 130 square feet and includes a private shower. He will have access to a landline telephone and can rent a television for 14 euros (about $16) per month.

Sarkozy told Le Figaro newspaper he was bringing three books, including Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo, the tale of a man unjustly imprisoned who seeks justice and revenge.

The jailing of a former head of state has caused uproar among Sarkozy’s supporters and the political right. “Nicolas Sarkozy is not a criminal,” said supporter Jacqueline Fraboulet, who joined others outside his home. “We feel the justice system is being used as a weapon, and that’s bad for France.”

Sarkozy’s family, including his children and brothers, gathered to see him off. The former president appeared solemn but waved to the crowd before entering the car that took him to prison.

Analysts say the ruling reflects a tougher stance in France on corruption and financial crimes. In past decades, politicians often avoided prison even when convicted.

Despite multiple legal challenges, Sarkozy remains influential on France’s political right. President Emmanuel Macron, who has maintained friendly relations with Sarkozy and Bruni, said he met with the former president before his incarceration.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin also plans to visit him, a move criticized by left-wing lawmakers as an interference with judicial independence.

Born to a Hungarian immigrant father, Sarkozy rose to power promising pro-business reforms and economic revival. His presidency was overshadowed by the global financial crisis, which derailed much of his agenda and weakened his popularity ahead of the 2012 election.

(With files from Reuters)

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PARIS,— Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday after being convicted of criminal conspiracy for attempting to secure campaign funds from Libya.

If enforced, Sarkozy will become the first former president of France to serve jail time.

The court’s decision was stricter than many had anticipated. Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, will be required to serve part of the sentence even if he appeals the ruling, which he has promised to do.

After leaving the courtroom, Sarkozy expressed his anger and frustration at what he described as a “scandalous” verdict. He told reporters, “What happened today is of extreme gravity in regard to the rule of law, and for the trust one can have in the justice system. If they absolutely want me to sleep in jail, I will sleep in jail, but with my head held high. I will not apologize for something I did not do.”

Sarkozy was convicted over actions by his close aides who attempted to secure funds for his 2007 presidential campaign from Libya under the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

He was acquitted of all other charges, including corruption and receiving illegal campaign financing, by the Paris court.

The prison sentence takes effect immediately. The judge allowed Sarkozy only a short period to organize his personal affairs before authorities summon him to serve time, which is expected within a month.

The prosecution alleged that Sarkozy had negotiated with Gaddafi in 2005, while he was France’s interior minister, to obtain campaign financing in exchange for supporting the Libyan government internationally.

However, the judge noted that there was no direct evidence proving such a deal took place or that Libyan funds reached Sarkozy’s campaign, although the timing of transactions was “compatible” and the financial pathways were “very opaque.”

Despite this, the court found Sarkozy guilty of criminal conspiracy because he allowed his aides to contact Libyan figures to pursue campaign funding. Sarkozy, 70, has denied all wrongdoing and maintained that the trial was politically motivated.

The conviction covers the period from 2005 to 2007, prior to Sarkozy’s presidency. The court emphasized that after he assumed office, presidential immunity protected him from prosecution.

This ruling marks the second high-profile, immediately enforceable sentence handed down in France this year. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen was convicted in March for embezzling European Union funds and received an immediate five-year ban from holding public office.

Le Pen criticized Sarkozy’s sentence, calling it “a grave danger” that judges are imposing immediate jail terms without waiting for appeals.

Sarkozy continues to wield influence in French politics despite his legal challenges. He had his Legion of Honour, the country’s highest decoration, revoked in June but has remained active, meeting recently with former protégé Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu.

He has also acknowledged the far-right National Rally party, led by Le Pen, as part of the broader “republican arc” in French politics.

Since leaving office, Sarkozy has faced multiple legal cases. Last year, France’s highest court upheld his conviction for corruption and influence peddling, requiring him to wear an electronic tag for one year, a first for a former French head of state. The tag has since been removed.

In addition, an appeals court confirmed a separate conviction for illegal campaign financing related to his failed 2012 re-election bid. A final decision from France’s highest court on that case is expected next month.

Vincent Brengarth, lawyer for the economic justice group Sherpa, which participated in the Libya case, welcomed the verdict, stating, “This confirms we have an independent justice system that can be brave.”

(With files from Reuters)

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ROME,— Claudia Cardinale, the Tunis-born actress who rose to prominence as one of the most recognizable faces of European cinema in the 1960s, has died at the age of 87, according to French media reports including AFP.

According to her agent Laurent Savry, who confirmed the news to The Associated Press, Cardinale died in Nemours, France, with her children gathered around her.

Cardinale, born in 1938 into a Sicilian family in Tunis, entered the spotlight after winning a beauty competition in 1957. The prize brought her to the Venice Film Festival, which opened the door to an acting career that spanned more than six decades across film and theatre.

In her early years, Cardinale’s heavy Sicilian dialect and French schooling meant her voice was often dubbed in Italian films. Around the same time, she faced personal challenges, including a pregnancy at age 19. She gave birth to her son Patrick in London in 1958 but presented him publicly as her younger brother while her parents helped raise him.

Her breakthrough came in 1963, when she appeared in two landmark films: Federico Fellini’s 8½ and Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard, in which she starred opposite Burt Lancaster.

The two productions were shot simultaneously, forcing her to juggle different hair colors for each role.

Speaking to Britain’s Guardian newspaper in 2013, Cardinale reflected on the contrasting styles of Fellini and Visconti. “He (Fellini) couldn’t film without noise. With Visconti, the opposite. It was like theatre — absolute silence,” she said.

Her rising reputation soon carried her to Hollywood. She took on roles in Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther and later in Sergio Leone’s western Once Upon a Time in the West in 1968, cementing her position as a global star.

But the following decade brought difficulties. After ending her marriage to producer Franco Cristaldi and beginning a lifelong relationship with director Pasquale Squitieri, with whom she had a daughter, Cardinale found herself sidelined in the Italian film industry.

Reports at the time suggested Cristaldi used his influence to block her from projects, including a role in Visconti’s final picture The Innocent.

“It was a very delicate moment. I found out I had no money in my bank account,” she once said of that period.

Her career was revived when Franco Zeffirelli cast her in the 1977 miniseries Jesus of Nazareth. She later collaborated with European filmmakers such as Werner Herzog and Marco Bellocchio.

Known for her husky voice and independent spirit, Cardinale built a reputation for defying convention. She once met Pope Paul VI wearing a miniskirt, disregarding Vatican protocol.

In later years she divided her time between cinema and stage, winning critical praise for her theatrical work.

Cardinale remained active on screen well into her eighties, appearing in a Swiss television series, Bulle, in 2020.

In recognition of her career, she received a lifetime achievement award at the Berlin Film Festival in 2002. At the ceremony, she described acting as “a marvelous opportunity” to live many lives.

“I’ve been a prostitute, a saint, a romantic, every kind of woman,” she said. “I’ve worked with the greatest directors. They gave me everything.”

A biography published in 2022 was titled Claudia Cardinale. The Indomitable. She spent much of her life in France, where she was close to presidents François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac.

Her death brings to a close one of the most remarkable chapters in post-war European cinema, remembered for a career that blended glamour, resilience, and artistry.

(With files from Reuters | AFP | AP)

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