European Court of Human Rights Rejects François Fillon's Final Appeal in 'Emplois Fictifs' Case
The European Court of Human Rights has dismissed François Fillon's last appeal against his conviction for fictitious jobs involving his wife, affirming the fairness of the trial process.
- • CEDH unanimously rejects Fillon's appeal citing manifest lack of basis.
- • Fillon was sentenced to four years suspended imprisonment, a €375,000 fine, and five years ineligibility.
- • Fillon claimed violations of fair trial rights and judicial independence, which CEDH rejected.
- • The ruling affirms national courts' decisions and closes Fillon's legal case.
Key details
On October 23, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (CEDH) unanimously dismissed the final appeal of former French Prime Minister François Fillon concerning his conviction for employing his wife in fictitious jobs. The court found Fillon's appeal inadmissible due to a 'manifest lack of basis,' upholding the fairness of the national judicial process.
Fillon was definitively sentenced in June 2023 by the Paris Court of Appeal to four years of suspended imprisonment, a €375,000 fine, and five years of political ineligibility. This sentence followed an earlier harsher ruling in May 2022 that included one year of actual prison time and ten years of ineligibility. The conviction related to Fillon's employment of his wife, Penelope, in fictitious parliamentary roles, a scandal known as "Penelopegate," which notably impacted his 2017 presidential campaign.
Fillon's appeal to the CEDH, filed in August 2024, alleged violations of Article 6 (right to a fair trial) and Article 7 (regarding criminal law application). His defense argued that the French judiciary lacked independence and impartiality, and that public fund embezzlement laws were misapplied to parliamentarians. However, the European court rejected these claims, emphasizing that the procedure was fair and that it cannot override national courts unless decisions are arbitrary or unreasonable. The court also declined to intervene in debates about the independence of France's public prosecutor's office.
This ruling finalizes the legal proceedings against Fillon. During his 2017 campaign, Fillon had criticized the CEDH, calling for France's withdrawal after rulings against it in unrelated matters. Meanwhile, former President Nicolas Sarkozy, currently imprisoned for corruption, has also proposed reforms to the European human rights framework.
The rejection by the CEDH closes a significant chapter in French political and judicial history involving elite accountability and the interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights.