China News Agency, Paris, November 23 (Reporter Li Yang) Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy appeared in court in Paris on suspicion of corruption on the 23rd local time.

If convicted, Sarkozy may face up to 10 years in prison.

Data map: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

　　The trial began that afternoon, and Sarkozy arrived at the court wearing a mask.

The defendant Azibel, who should be tried with Sarkozy, did not appear in court.

After the trial began, Azibel's lawyer immediately declared that his client had a heart attack and that if he appeared in court, he was likely to be infected with the new crown virus.

He used this as a reason to request the suspension of the trial.

　　The judge subsequently requested an independent medical assessment of Azibel's health and announced a temporary adjournment.

Sarkozy left the court soon and did not comment on the case at the scene.

The trial is tentatively scheduled to resume on the 26th and is expected to last three weeks.

　　According to Agence France-Presse, Sarkozy was accused in 2013 of illegally accepting funding from the late heir Liliana Bettencourt of L'Oréal in the 2007 presidential campaign.

Sarkozy was also accused of obtaining inside information related to the above-mentioned case and promising to obtain "easy Monaco position" for Azibel.

Azibel was an influential criminal court judge at the time and was believed to be aware of the progress of the case.

　　French prosecutors monitored the phone calls between Sarkozy and his lawyer Herzog.

According to the prosecution's indictment, Sarkozy once told Herzog that he would "promote" Azibel.

Sarkozy himself denied this on various occasions recently and said that Azibel did not obtain any position in Monaco.

　　French public opinion commented on Sarkozy's appearance in court, saying that this is the first time that a former French head of state has appeared in court for corruption charges since the establishment of the Fifth Republic of France in 1958.

Former French President Chirac was charged and sentenced for misappropriation of public funds and other crimes. Due to age and health reasons, Chirac did not appear in court and did not serve his sentence.

　　Sarkozy was born in Paris in 1955 and served as President of France from 2007 to 2012.

He has been involved in lawsuits in recent years, but he still shows up frequently in public.

This summer, Sarkozy also published his latest memoir "Stormy Hour".

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