The verdict of the criminal court condemning Nicolas Sarkozy to three years in prison, including two suspended sentences, definitely does not pass.

The former French head of state refused, Wednesday, March 3, to speak of "political justice", as some of his supporters did after his conviction, a sentence he again qualified as "deep injustice".

The day before, the former French president had said not to rule out going to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) so that "law and justice triumph", in an interview given to Le Figaro.

"I will fight to the end so that the truth triumphs", assured the former head of state this time on TF1, repeating: "I will not lower my head because I am accused of the facts that I do not have not committed ".

"I have never spoken of political justice and I will never speak of it," said Nicolas Sarkozy.

"I know the difference between the behavior of some and an institution", he added, hammering: "I will not fall into the trap of a political fight against an institution that I respect".

Nicolas Sarkozy says he is "harassed"

While several of his supporters on the right questioned the role of the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) in this trial, he assured that he was not asking "for the dissolution of any institution".

"I only ask for one thing, the truth and respect for the rule of law," he added.

In this case, "who can say that I had the slightest advantage?"

"I have been used to being harassed for ten years," he said.

"What is happening today is a deep injustice and the truth will explode."

The former head of state was sentenced Monday by the 32nd correctional chamber of the Paris court to three years' imprisonment, including one firm, for corruption and influence peddling in the so-called "eavesdropping" case, a historic decision he appealed.

Withdrawal from political life

Asked about his possible political ambitions, Nicolas Sarkozy assured that he had "taken well before the decision of the court, the decision not to (stand)" for the presidential election of 2022. "I do not have the will to return in politics, I turned the page on politics, "he repeated, while some on the right saw him as a possible recourse for 2022.

Finally on the health crisis, for the former head of state, "it is clear. And I said it to the President of the Republic: it is to vaccinate".

"You have to vaccinate day and night, seven days a week, it's the only way out" and that's what he says will cost the least. "

Nicolas Sarkozy, 66, has also created a new controversy by receiving the injection against Covid-19 at the Percy military hospital, in Clamart, near Paris, from January.

The vaccination had been prescribed by a city doctor who invokes a high-risk pathology from which the politician is said to be suffering.

Vaccination was still reserved at that time for people over 75 and people with high-risk pathologies.

With AFP

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