Former French Prime Minister François Fillon has been definitively rejected by the European Court of Human Rights (CEDH) in his appeal against his 2024 conviction related to fictitious jobs involving his wife Penelope. Fillon had filed a request in August 2024, claiming he was denied a fair trial, but the court unanimously dismissed his claim, citing a 'manifest lack of grounds' and affirming that the overall process was fair. In June 2025, Fillon was sentenced to four years of suspended prison and five years of ineligibility for embezzlement of public funds, specifically for fictitious jobs of his wife at the National Assembly, with a fine of 375,000 euros. Fillon argued that magistrates lacked independence, citing pressures from the prosecutor, and claimed that the criminal code's article 7, which states no penalty without law, did not apply to parliamentarians; both claims were rejected. Fillon, a 2017 presidential candidate, had previously criticized the European Court, threatening to withdraw France from the court, especially after it condemned France for not recognizing the paternity of children born via international surrogacy. His case, dubbed 'Penelopegate,' significantly impacted his political career, leading to his early elimination in the presidential race. The court reaffirmed that the legal procedures he underwent were fair, and his appeal was dismissed as inadmissible.