Paris, September 29, 2025 – The Europe Today: French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday strongly condemned threats made against Judge Nathalie Gavarino, who last week convicted and sentenced former president Nicolas Sarkozy to prison on conspiracy charges.
“Attacks and death threats, old or recent, against several magistrates are unacceptable,” Macron wrote on X, underscoring that the rule of law is the foundation of democracy. He stressed that the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, as well as the protection of magistrates, are essential pillars of justice.
The president called on the justice and interior ministers in the incoming government to ensure that those responsible for the threats are swiftly prosecuted once identified. “Decisions of the courts can be commented on or criticised in public, but always in a spirit of mutual respect,” he added.
Judge Gavarino reportedly received death threats and violent messages following her ruling on Thursday, which sentenced Sarkozy to five years in prison over a scheme linked to alleged financing from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 presidential campaign. Sarkozy, who has appealed the decision, became the first post-war French leader to face a prison term.
The magistrates’ union (USM) earlier criticised what it described as Macron’s “deafening silence,” reminding that under Article 64 of the Constitution, the president is the guarantor of judicial independence. Outgoing Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin also denounced the threats in a statement on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Paris prosecutors confirmed on Friday that two investigations had been opened into the threats made against Judge Gavarino. Sarkozy, addressing reporters outside the courtroom, condemned the verdict as “extremely serious for the rule of law,” a stance that has fueled anger among many of his supporters on the political right.
