The court has requested a medical opinion and the proceedings are to continue on Thursday.
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According to the indictment, Sarkozy committed corruption by trying to obtain secret information in return from Azibert’s Court of Cassation, who was dealing with the financing of Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential campaign. The thing came to light thanks to wiretapping phone calls.
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According to the BFMTV news agency, Azibert, 73, did not appear in court today and, through his lawyer, asked for the case to be adjourned. The court requested a medical opinion to determine whether Azibert was able to participate in the trial. The relevant doctor has 48 hours to prepare the report.
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Azibert’s lawyer explained that his client had suffered from heart, breathing and high blood pressure problems for the past ten years, and his doctors strongly advised him not to leave Bordeaux, where he lives, because of the covid-19 epidemic.
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Historical process
The French media describe the process as historic, as Sarkozy is the first former head of state of the Fifth Republic, since 1958, to stand trial for corruption.
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Along with the former president and Azibert, a prominent Parisian lawyer, Thierry Herzog, is also accused of corruption and dealing with influence, allegedly acting as an intermediary in obtaining information from the judge of cassation.
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The 65-year-old former president and both co-defendants face up to ten years in prison and a fine of one million euros (CZK 26.3 million). The head of state from 2007 to 2012 has long denied guilt and called the process politicized.
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In the five years of his reign, Nicolas Sarkozy has become one of the least popular presidents of the French Fifth Republic from a political star. He lost the Socialist François Hollande in the fight for his second term. However, a possible cleansing in the current process could allow him to return to high politics.
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