Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plea for release from jail pending appeal was heard by a Paris court on Monday, less than three weeks after he began serving a five-year prison sentence for conspiring to raise campaign funds from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
French prosecutors also requested that Sarkozy be freed, though under strict judicial supervision.
The 70-year-old was convicted on September 25 for criminal conspiracy linked to his 2007 presidential campaign financing. While he was acquitted of other charges, including corruption and illegal campaign financing, the court ordered his immediate imprisonment due to the “extraordinary seriousness” of the offence, according to Judge Nathalie Gavarino.
Sarkozy became the first former French head of state in modern history to be sent to prison, starting his sentence on October 21 before promptly seeking early release.
Prosecutor Damien Brunet told the court that “the risks of collusion and pressure on witnesses justify the request for release under judicial supervision,” urging that Sarkozy’s appeal be approved under those conditions.
Under French law, pre-appeal detention is meant to be exceptional. Judges will consider whether Sarkozy poses a flight risk, could pressure witnesses, or might obstruct justice. If granted, he could be released from Paris’ La Santé prison within hours.
Appearing via videolink, Sarkozy described his three-week imprisonment as “gruelling.”
“It’s hard, very hard — certainly for any prisoner. I would even say it’s gruelling,” he said, while expressing gratitude to prison staff who had “made this nightmare bearable.”
The former leader, who served from 2007 to 2012, continues to deny any wrongdoing, claiming he is the target of a “plot” connected to Gaddafi.
If released, Sarkozy may be required to wear an electronic tag, post bail, or report regularly to authorities.
This is not Sarkozy’s first encounter with legal sanctions. Last year, France’s highest court upheld a separate conviction for corruption and influence peddling, ordering him to wear an electronic tag for a year — a measure that has since ended.
He also remains under investigation for alleged witness tampering in the ongoing Libya case, while awaiting a final ruling this month on another conviction for illegal campaign financing during his failed 2012 re-election bid.
