法国前总统希拉克因贪污获刑

法国前总统希拉克日前因挪用公款、滥用职权等罪名被司法机关判处两年有期徒刑、缓期执行。现年79岁的希拉克因健康问题未能出席宣读判决结果现场。希拉克于1977年任职首都巴黎市长，长达18年，于1995年当选国家总统，第二届得以连任，至2007年期满。三任巴黎市长、两任法国总统的希拉克在卸任并失去司法豁免权后，被人起诉在1977年至1995年担任巴黎市市长时，利用职权虚设公职，为自己及同党、亲信牟利，涉嫌贪污和违反诚信。此次指控成立标志着，希拉克成为法国历史上第一位因犯重罪而被要求出庭受审的前总统。

The former French president Jacques Chirac has been handed a two-year suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of embezzling public funds to illegally finance the conservative party he led.

Chirac, a savvy world diplomat and part of France's political establishment for decades, is the first former French head of state to face prosecution since the second world war. But the 79-year-old former leader did not take part in the trial after doctors determined that he suffers from severe memory lapses.

In the historic verdict, the court said it had found Chirac guilty in two related cases involving fake jobs created at the RPR party, which he led during his 1977-1995 tenure as Paris's mayor.

He was convicted of embezzling public funds, abuse of trust and illegal conflict of interest. Chirac has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

The suspended sentence goes on Chirac's criminal record but means he does not have to go to prison. The court said it took into account his age, health and status as a former head of state when determining the sentence.

The prosecutor had earlier requested that the case be dropped, saying there was not enough evidence to prove intentional corruption, but the court disagreed, saying "his guilt results from longstanding and reiterated practices" of illegal party financing.

"For all those who could have expected a rejection of the case against him, or at least no penalty, the ruling can appear disappointing," said one of Chirac's lawyers, Georges Kiejman. "What I hope is that this ruling doesn't change in any way the deep affection the French feel legitimately for Jacques Chirac.

"We have to take a step back and read this ruling, we have to speak of course with the main person involved and we will know tonight if he accepts this decision or, on the contrary, he wants on principle to appeal. For the moment, it's impossible to say more."

Chirac's spokeswoman, Benedicte Brissart, declined to comment, saying time was needed to go over the legal decision.

Chirac enjoyed immunity from prosecution during his 1995-2007 presidential tenure, during which he led France into the euro and strongly opposed the US-led invasion of Iraq.