Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been stripped of the Legion of Honour, the country's highest honour, following a conviction for corruption, according to a decree reported by AFP.

The right-wing former president ruled France from 2007 to 2012 and has been hampered by legal problems since leaving office after a heavy defeat in the presidential elections.

An appeals court upheld his conviction last year for illegally trying to get a judge to do him a favor and sentenced him to wear an electronic ankle bracelet instead of serving a year in jail.

The decision to strip him of his award was expected under the rules of the order, although current French President Emmanuel Macron had spoken out against the move.

Sarkozy is the second former head of state to be stripped of the award after Nazi collaborator Philippe Pétain, who was convicted in August 1945 of high treason and conspiracy against the enemy.

Sarkozy, whose electronic tag was removed this month, is using his last legal option – an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights – to defend himself against the conviction.

He is currently on trial in another case for accepting illegal funding for his election campaign as part of an alleged pact with the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

The court is due to rule in September, with prosecutors seeking seven years in prison for Sarkozy, who denies the charges.

Despite his legal troubles, Sarkozy remains an influential figure on the right and is known to meet regularly with Macron. |BGNES