France, Oct. 13 -- Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, convicted of conspiring to accept illicit funding from Libya for his 2007 election campaign, appears in court on Monday to find out when he must begin serving a five-year prison sentence. It is the first time in modern France's history that a former head of state will be sent behind bars.

Sarkozy, 70,was found guilty on 25 September of criminal conspiracyover a scheme to find funding fromLibya's then leader Moamer Kadhafi for the presidential campaign that ultimately brought him to power.

Although he plans to appeal the verdict, a special court order means that he must start serving his sentence even before the case is retried.

Sarkozy, who was President of France between 2007...