Former French President Sarkozy's appeal trial set for March 16

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will face a trial on appeal over Libyan campaign funding allegations from March 16 to June 3, the Paris Court of Appeal said on Thursday.

In September, the former French president was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiracy in a case involving the Libyan financing of his 2007 election campaign.

The court found Sarkozy, who denied all wrongdoing, guilty of criminal conspiracy but cleared him of passive corruption and other illegal financing charges.

After Sarkozy was imprisoned, his lawyers filed a request for his release. A French court approved the request pending appeal and ordered the former president's release under judicial supervision on Oct. 10, just 20 days after he began serving his sentence at La Sante Prison.

Sarkozy served one term as French president from 2007 to 2012.