Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday condemned the threats made against the judge who convicted ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy last week to five years in prison in the Libya campaign financing case. "Attacks and death threats, old or recent, against several magistrates are unacceptable," said Macron. French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday joined a chorus of condemnation for threats made against the judge who last week convicted and jailed former president Nicolas Sarkozy on conspiracy charges.

According to France24.com, reports emerged on Friday that judge Nathalie Gavarino had received death threats and messages threatening her with "serious violence" after she convicted Sarkozy a day earlier. Macron emphasized the importance of respecting judicial decisions, stating, "Decisions of the courts can be commented on or criticised in public, but always in a spirit of mutual respect."

Earlier, the magistrates union (USM) had denounced the "deafening" silence of Macron, arguing that under the terms of article 64 of the constitution, the president was meant to be the guarantee of the independence of the judiciary. The outgoing justice minister Gérald Darmanin also condemned the threats against the judge in a statement on Saturday.

Paris prosecutors on Friday opened two investigations into the threats made against Gavarino. On Thursday, she sentenced Sarkozy to five years in prison, marking him as the first French post-war leader to potentially serve jail time, pending his appeal.

Sarkozy's conviction over a scheme enabling late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi to fund his 2007 presidential run has angered many on the right. Sarkozy himself condemned the verdict as "extremely serious for the rule of law" in comments to reporters outside the courtroom.