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Court Orders Release Pending Appeal
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy walked free from Paris’s La Santé prison on Monday after serving just 20 days of a five-year sentence, as a court ruled he could be released while appealing his conviction in a Libyan campaign funding case. The Paris appeals court granted Sarkozy’s request for release under judicial supervision, meaning the 70-year-old former leader must remain in France and avoid contact with certain individuals involved in the case while his appeal is pending.
Sarkozy – who served as president from 2007 to 2012 – had been incarcerated on Oct. 21 following a conviction for criminal conspiracy over a scheme to illicitly finance his 2007 presidential bid with funds from the late Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi. The decision to jail him immediately was unprecedented for a former French head of state and came after judges described the offense as one of “extraordinary seriousness,” ordering imprisonment even as appeals were underway.
‘Nightmare’ Behind Bars
Speaking via video link from prison at Monday’s hearing, Sarkozy described his brief imprisonment as “gruelling” and “very hard,” calling the experience “a nightmare.” For security reasons, he was held in solitary confinement, an arrangement he said was difficult but eased by the professionalism of prison staff who “made this nightmare bearable.”
“I never imagined I would experience prison at 70… It’s hard, very hard,” Sarkozy told the court, adding that he would “comply with all obligations” set upon his release. His incarceration marked a stunning downfall for a man who once held France’s highest office, the first time in modern French history that a former president has been sent behind bars. The sight of Sarkozy being driven through the prison gates last month was broadcast live, drawing intense media attention to the historic moment.
Libyan Campaign Funding Allegations
Sarkozy’s conviction stems from allegations that his 2007 election campaign was bankrolled with millions in illicit cash from Qaddafi’s regime, in violation of French campaign finance laws. Investigators say Sarkozy’s aides clandestinely met with Abdullah Senussi, Qaddafi’s intelligence chief, during two covert trips to Tripoli in 2005 to arrange the secret funding. (At the time, Senussi was wanted by French authorities, having been convicted in absentia for a 1989 airline bombing.)
French judges concluded that these off-the-books meetings “could only be linked to a corrupt [financial] pact,” namely an agreement for Libya to funnel money into Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign war chest. In return, according to the court’s verdict, Sarkozy’s team promised to consider helping Libya shed its pariah status and address Senussi’s legal troubles in France.
Sarkozy has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, insisting that “not a single cent” of Libyan money made its way into his campaign. He maintains that the allegations are a “conspiracy” against him and says he will “never confess to something I didn’t do.”
Ongoing Legal Battles and Tarnished Legacy
Once one of France’s most influential political figures, Sarkozy has been embroiled in multiple legal battles since leaving the Élysée Palace. Last year, France’s highest court upheld his conviction for corruption and influence peddling, a case in which he tried to illicitly obtain information from a judge in a separate inquiry. In that affair, Sarkozy avoided jail by serving a one-year sentence under house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor, the first time a former French head of state was subjected to such an arrangement.
He was also found guilty in a separate trial for illegal campaign financing related to his failed 2012 re-election bid. Sarkozy has appealed those verdicts, and a final decision on the 2012 financing case is expected soon. Meanwhile, he remains under formal investigation for an unrelated charge of witness tampering.
Despite his legal woes, Sarkozy and his lawyers continue to fight to clear his name. His appeal in the high-profile Libya funding case is due to be heard next year, extending a long-running saga that has deeply tarnished the legacy of France’s 23rd president. “The truth will prevail,” Sarkozy insisted, vowing to restore his honor even as his courtroom battles continue.
