Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been released from prison after 20 days, pending his appeal against a conviction for criminal conspiracy. The 70-year-old was driven away from La Santé prison in Paris on Monday, accompanied by his wife, singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
An appeal court granted Sarkozy's release under strict judicial supervision. He is forbidden from leaving France, from contacting any justice ministry officials—including Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin—and from communicating with others involved in the case. The conditions follow his five-year sentence for conspiring to obtain election campaign funds from the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 presidential race.
Sarkozy, who denies wrongdoing, described his time in prison as a 'nightmare' but praised prison staff as 'exceptionally humane'. He said in a statement: 'The law has been applied. I will now prepare for an appeal. My energy is focused solely on proving my innocence. The truth will prevail.' His lawyers called the release 'the first step' towards challenging the original sentence, with a fresh trial scheduled for next spring.
The former president had been jailed on 21 October after judges ruled that the 'exceptional gravity' of his conviction required him to be imprisoned while the appeal process unfolded. Darmanin, a former Sarkozy protégé who later joined Emmanuel Macron's party, visited Sarkozy in prison last month, a move criticised by some magistrates as undermining judicial independence.
