Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was released from La Santé Prison in Paris on Monday, ending a 20-day incarceration he described as a “nightmare.” His release was ordered pending an appeal over his conviction for allegedly seeking Libyan campaign funding.
Sarkozy, 70, who maintains his innocence, left the prison shortly before 3 p.m. in a police-escorted car. The former president was found guilty in September of attempting to obtain campaign funds from the late Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi for his 2007 presidential bid and sentenced to five years in prison.
After entering jail on October 21, Sarkozy became the first former head of a European Union state to be incarcerated. His legal team immediately appealed, and with the appeal pending, he is now presumed innocent again.
During a court hearing on Monday, Sarkozy appeared via video call, describing prison life as “gruelling.” He expressed gratitude to the staff who, he said, showed “exceptional humanity” and helped make the ordeal “bearable.”
Prosecutor Damien Brunet supported the request for Sarkozy’s release under judicial supervision, citing reduced risks of interference or pressure on witnesses.
In court, Sarkozy’s wife, singer and model Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and two of his sons were present in support. The court, however, barred Sarkozy from leaving France and from contacting former Libyan and senior French judicial officials, including Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, who had controversially visited him in jail.
Sarkozy’s release was hailed by allies as a “fair and dignified decision.” Conservative leader Laurent Wauquiez praised the ruling on X, calling Sarkozy “a man who has given so much to our country.”
While imprisoned, Sarkozy was kept separate from the general population, guarded by two security officers in adjacent cells for safety reasons, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez.
Sarkozy remains the first French leader to be jailed since Philippe Pétain after World War II.
The former president continues to face multiple legal battles, including a pending ruling on illegal campaign financing from 2012. In previous cases, he served a sentence under house arrest for corruption involving an attempt to bribe a judge.
In the ongoing “Libyan case,” prosecutors allege Sarkozy’s associates struck a deal with Kadhafi’s regime in 2005 to secure illicit campaign funding in exchange for diplomatic rehabilitation. While the court convicted Sarkozy of criminal conspiracy, it did not find evidence that he directly received or used Libyan funds.
