French prosecutors seek four-year sentence for Rachida Dati in Renault corruption trial

Prosecution requests and allegations

On 28 September 2026, the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) presented its final requisitions at the Paris correctional court following a six-day trial over consulting contracts. Prosecutors requested a four-year prison sentence, with two years firm to be served under electronic monitoring, against former minister Rachida Dati. The prosecution also asked judges to impose five-year bans on holding public office, practicing law, and electoral eligibility, demanding immediate provisional execution. In a four-hour closing argument, prosecutor Caroline Genin described the case as a breach of institutional standards and democratic integrity. Investigators allege that Dati received 300,000 euros annually from Renault-Nissan between 2009 and 2013, totaling 900,000 euros, for lobbying activities that violated rules governing her mandate as a Member of the European Parliament.

Carlos Ghosn and political implications

Former Renault-Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn, who remains in Lebanon following his departure from Japan, was tried in absentia during the same proceedings. The PNF requested a four-year prison sentence for Ghosn and asked the court to maintain his active arrest warrant. If judges follow the prosecution's demands against Dati, the ruling would immediately remove her from her position as mayor of Paris's 7th arrondissement. The penalties would also prevent her return to the judiciary, where she was reinstated in September 2026 and currently awaits a post. Dati had previously served as Minister of Justice from 2007 to 2009 under Nicolas Sarkozy, stepped down as Minister of Culture in February 2026, and ran an unsuccessful campaign for Paris mayor in March 2026.

Defense arguments and final statement

Dati's defense team pleaded for complete acquittal, arguing that the requested sanctions amounted to civil death by stripping her of political office, legal practice, and judicial standing. Dati argued before the court that the payments represented fees for legitimate legal counsel provided to the automaker rather than illicit parliamentary lobbying. Taking the stand after more than twelve hours of proceedings on Monday evening, Dati addressed the PNF prosecutors directly for the first time in the trial. She stated that having served in the judiciary herself, she understood the responsibilities of magistrates and rejected the prosecution's characterization of her financial intentions.

“The strength of the judiciary is not to make the law, it is to move it forward, and to move it forward in the right direction.”

Court deliberations and upcoming verdict

Dati criticized the prosecutors for portraying her career as driven by greed, explaining that her earnings allowed her to support her eight sisters and maintain financial independence throughout her political career. She urged the correctional court to base its upcoming judgment solely on established legal standards rather than personal perceptions of her life.

“Once again, I ask you for nothing other than to rule on the law. Not to judge my life, not to judge my brothers and sisters, not to judge what is said about me.”

At the conclusion of the hearing, the Paris correctional court placed the case into deliberation and announced that the formal verdict will be delivered on 21 January 2027.

Rachida Dati (total sentence)4

Rachida Dati (firm sentence)2

Carlos Ghosn (total sentence)4

Rachida Dati (total sentence)

4 years

Rachida Dati (firm sentence)

2 years

Carlos Ghosn (total sentence)

4 years

Data from the article text