Bangladesh, Sept. 25 -- Nicolas Sarkozy, once one of the most influential leaders in Europe, now faces the ignominy of being the first French president in modern history sentenced to serve actual prison time. On September 25, a Paris court delivered a landmark ruling, sentencing the 70-year-old former head of state to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy in connection with illegal Libyan financing tied to his 2007 presidential campaign. While the court acquitted him on other counts, including passive corruption and illegal campaign financing, the decision marks a watershed moment in French politics and the global fight against high-level corruption.

The case, often referred to as the “Libyan financing affair,” has sha...