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Paris Appeals Court Frees Nicolas Sarkozy Under Judicial Supervision After 20 Days in Jail

Prosecutors supported his release on grounds he posed no flight risk.

Overview

  • The court ordered strict conditions, including a ban on leaving France and on contacts with co-defendants, witnesses and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin.
  • Sarkozy’s five-year sentence for association in the alleged Libyan funding scheme remains in place pending an appeal expected to be scheduled in the coming months.
  • Speaking by videoconference from La Santé, the 70-year-old called prison “very hard,” denied ever seeking money from Muammar Gaddafi and pledged to follow all judicial requirements.
  • He spent roughly three weeks in isolation under special protection because of death threats, according to accounts of his detention.
  • Related proceedings continue, including a 26 November ruling by the Cour de Cassation on the 2012 campaign finance case and an ongoing probe into alleged witness tampering.