Released from prison, Nicolas Sarkozy assures that 'the truth will prevail'

"The truth will prevail," declared Nicolas Sarkozy just hours after his release from prison under judicial supervision by the Paris Court of Appeal, which barred him from contacting high-ranking judicial officials such as the Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin.

"The law has been applied. I will now prepare for the appeal trial. My energy is solely focused on proving my innocence. The truth will prevail. It is an obvious lesson that life teaches," wrote the former head of state on X, marking his first public statement since his midday release by the judiciary.

While awaiting his appeal trial, set to begin in March, the Paris Court of Appeal authorized the 70-year-old former president's release from La Santé prison in Paris, where he had been incarcerated since October 21, around 1:45 PM.

This release was implemented almost immediately. Shortly before 3 PM, Nicolas Sarkozy left the prison in a tinted-window car, escorted by police motorcyclists, heading back to his home in the 16th arrondissement, as reported by AFP journalists.

"Prison is tough, it's very hard, and I would say it's exhausting," he testified via video conference at the hearing for his request, offering the first glimpse into the story of a former president in prison.

Under judicial supervision, judges imposed two restrictions on the fallen champion of the right, who is mired in legal troubles. The court found that "the risk of pressure or collusion cannot be completely ruled out" concerning his co-defendants, particularly regarding "a number of key witnesses," including former dignitaries of the Kadhafi regime scattered around the world, and prohibited him from traveling abroad.

More unexpectedly, the court also imposed a broad "contact prohibition" with high-ranking officials of the French judiciary, including Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin, citing his "ability to leverage different state services" as a former president.

On October 29, Nicolas Sarkozy had received a visit from the minister at La Santé prison, a meeting that drew criticism, especially from magistrates. In a rare statement, France's top prosecutor, Rémy Heitz, viewed it as a "risk of undermining serenity" and thus "compromising the independence of magistrates" before the appeal trial.

In a statement to AFP, Mr. Darmanin's entourage assured that "the Minister of Justice always respects judicial decisions."

"A nightmare"

During the examination of his request that morning, the public prosecutor had called for Sarkozy's release under judicial supervision, deeming that the "guarantees of representation in court are rarely met at such a level."

Of the three individuals detained following the initial judgment in the Libyan trial, justice thus released Nicolas Sarkozy and former banker Wahib Nacer, but kept intermediary Alexandre Djouhri in custody, citing a risk of flight and pressure on case participants.

On September 25, the Paris correctional court found Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of knowingly allowing his aides to solicit covert funding for his successful 2007 presidential campaign from Muammar Kadhafi's Libya.

The court sentenced him to five years in prison with a custodial order and provisional execution, resulting in his incarceration despite his appeal.

Nicolas Sarkozy was imprisoned just under a month after his conviction. This unprecedented detention for a former president has sparked intense debate. It is also a first in the European Union, where no former head of state has faced imprisonment.

"I want to pay tribute to the prison staff who showed exceptional humanity and made this nightmare, because it is a nightmare, bearable," Sarkozy said during the hearing, dressed in a dark blue jacket, sweater, and shirt, appearing onscreen in a room with white walls alongside two of his lawyers.

This release "ends the judicial saga and the victimization mechanism to now allow focus on the substance. It also prevents risks of interference regarding the remaining participants as well as the current government," reacted Me Vincent Brengarth, lawyer for Sherpa, a civil party in the Libyan case.

Sarkozy's political family expressed joy over his release. The president of the Republicans, Bruno Retailleau, praised the "courage" and "determination" with which he "faced this ordeal," while Laurent Wauquiez, the leader of LR deputies, celebrated a "just and dignified decision, worthy of the man who has given so much to our country."

The former head of state will not attend the November 11 commemorations on the Champs-Élysées and at the Arc de Triomphe, to which he is protocolarily invited, his entourage informed AFP.