A French court has sentenced former President Nicolas Sarkozy to three years in prison on corruption charges. According to the French news agency AFP, Nicolas Sarkozy was accused of corruption and illegal influence.

Sarkozy was accused of offering to help a judge investigating the election campaign's funding get a higher position in exchange for providing classified information.

The court sentenced Sarkozy to three years in prison if convicted, but the sentence will be suspended for two years.

The two-year suspension means Sarkozy will not go to jail for a one-year sentence. Nicolas Sarkozy plans to appeal the court's decision, but his arrest warrant has not been issued.

The 66-year-old former president held the presidency from 2007 to 2012 and is also a favourite of France's right-wing parties. Former President Nicolas Sarkozy may find it difficult to return to central politics after being sentenced by a court.

In addition to Nicolas Sarkozy, another former French president, Jacques Schroeder, was ousted from the presidency in 2011 on corruption charges. However, due to ill health, he was excused from appearing in court.

Nicolas Sarkozy was accused of offering to help a judge get a senior position in Monaco. In return, the judge was asked to use his influence in an ongoing investigation into Sarkozy's campaign funding. The former president had told the court during the trial that he had never committed even a minor corruption.

Nicolas Sarkozy has been accused of extorting money from Lillian Bettencourt, owner of a French cosmetics company, during the 2007 presidential campaign.