Paris, France — A Paris appeals court has ordered the release of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy from prison less than three weeks after he began serving a five-year sentence for criminal conspiracy linked to illegal campaign financing from Libya. The court ruled Monday that Sarkozy will be placed under judicial supervision and prohibited from leaving French territory while awaiting his appeal trial.
The decision marks a dramatic turn in a case that has gripped French politics and made Sarkozy, 70, the first former head of state in modern French history to be sent to prison.
Sarkozy was convicted on September 25 of orchestrating a scheme to funnel millions in illicit funds from the late Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi into his 2007 presidential campaign. He began serving his sentence on October 21 at Paris’ La Santé prison but immediately filed a motion for early release pending appeal.
During Monday’s hearing, held via video link from prison, Sarkozy appeared visibly emotional as he described the toll of his imprisonment.
“I had never imagined I would experience prison at 70. This ordeal was imposed on me, and I lived through it. It’s hard, very hard,” he said, while also thanking prison staff for their professionalism and compassion.
His wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and sons were present at the courthouse to support him.
The court noted that, under French law, release is generally permitted while an appeal is pending unless a defendant poses a flight risk or could interfere with judicial proceedings. Prosecutor Damien Brunet, representing the state’s interests, had also recommended Sarkozy’s release under supervision.
While Sarkozy continues to deny any wrongdoing, he faces several other ongoing legal battles. On November 26, France’s highest court is expected to rule on a separate case concerning the illegal financing of his failed 2012 re-election campaign. He is also under investigation for alleged witness tampering related to the Libya probe.
Sarkozy was previously convicted in 2023 of corruption and influence peddling for attempting to bribe a magistrate in exchange for confidential information about another legal case. That verdict was later upheld by the Court of Cassation.
The appeal trial for the Libya case is expected to begin next spring, where Sarkozy’s defense team will again contest the charges and seek to overturn the conviction.