• Nicolas Sarkozy has been stripped of the Legion of Honor after corruption conviction.
• This is the second such revocation for a French head of state in history.
• Sarkozy faces further legal challenges, including a trial regarding Libyan campaign financing.
• Prosecutors are seeking a seven-year prison sentence for Sarkozy.
• Current President Macron had previously opposed the award's revocation.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been stripped of his Legion of Honor, the country's highest distinction, due to his conviction for corruption and influence peddling. This decision, announced through a decree in the Official Bulletin, further complicates the political landscape for Sarkozy, who has faced multiple legal challenges since leaving office in 2012, according to Le Monde and Reuters.

Sarkozy was found guilty by a Paris court in 2021 and had his conviction upheld by the highest court in France, which ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring device for a year. This revocation makes him the second former French head of state to lose this honor, following Philippe Pétain after WWII. The ruling aligns with the rules of the Legion of Honor, which stipulate that anyone convicted of a crime should be stripped of this award, reports Al Jazeera and India Times.

Currently, Sarkozy is on trial for allegedly receiving significant funds from Libya for his 2007 presidential campaign, charges he firmly denies. Prosecutors are asking for a seven-year prison sentence, with a verdict expected in September, according to Africa News and Africa News.