Paris, France – Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been released from custody after spending approximately 20 days in prison. The decision was handed down by a Paris appeals court earlier today following his detention related to the ongoing investigation into alleged illegal funding from Libya for his 2007 presidential campaign.
The prosecution had recommended Sarkozy’s release under judicial supervision, a recommendation the court ultimately accepted. Sarkozy participated in the hearing via video conference from La Santé prison in Paris.
The court’s decision includes restrictions on Sarkozy’s communication with certain individuals, including Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin. He is also barred from leaving the country.
Earlier in the day, the prosecution had formally requested Sarkozy’s release. Sarkozy, in a statement, described his time in prison as “extremely difficult and arduous for any prisoner.”
The hearing took place weeks after the former president began serving a five-year sentence on charges of conspiring to receive illicit funding from Libya for his presidential campaign. Sarkozy’s imprisonment, the first instance of a former French president being incarcerated in the history of the Republic, sparked considerable debate within political and media circles and is considered unprecedented within the European Union.
His lawyer, Jean-Michel Darrois, stated that his client is a “strong and courageous man, but the period of detention was painful and full of suffering.” The French Interior Minister, Laurent Nunez, justified the measures by citing “security threats directed” at the former president.
