The backroom deals and "bling bling" reputation that many French people have come to associate with Nicolas Sarkozy during his 2007-2012 presidency came back to haunt him on Thursday, as he became the first leader of modern-day France to face jail for a criminal conviction.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been handed a five-year prison sentence for criminal conspiracy tied to illegal campaign financing from Libya, becoming the first post-war president to face imprisonment.

French authorities said Friday they have launched two investigations into threats targeting the presiding judge in the conspiracy trial of former president Nicolas Sarkozy, who was jailed for five years.

Nicolas Sarkozy, once a dynamic and controversial leader who promised to transform France, has been sentenced to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy tied to illegal campaign funding from Libya.