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Paris Appeals Court Weighs Sarkozy’s Release Today After Prosecutors Back Supervised Freedom

The appeal reinstates his presumption of innocence, requiring judges to justify any continued detention under narrow legal criteria.

Overview

  • Judges heard the first release request this morning, with a ruling expected around 1:30 p.m. local time.
  • The prosecutor general asked for judicial control with a ban on contacts with co-defendants and witnesses in the Libya case.
  • Sarkozy appeared via videoconference from La Santé prison, while his wife Carla Bruni and son Jean attended in court.
  • He has been incarcerated since October 21 after a first-instance five-year sentence for seeking Libyan funding, making him the first former EU head of state to be jailed.
  • Under Article 144 criteria, the court must assess risks such as evidence tampering or flight, and possible outcomes include immediate release, judicial supervision, or house arrest with electronic monitoring.