A Paris court is set to deliberate on Monday whether to grant former French President Nicolas Sarkozy early release from prison. Sarkozy, 70, began serving a five-year sentence on October 21 for criminal conspiracy related to the illegal financing of his 2007 election campaign with Libyan funds. His conviction on September 25 marked him as the first former French head of state in modern history to be incarcerated. Sarkozy, who governed France from 2007 to 2012, has consistently denied any wrongdoing, claiming he is the victim of a ‘plot’ tied to the late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Under French law, pre-appeal detention is typically reserved for exceptional cases. The court will assess whether Sarkozy poses a flight risk, could influence witnesses, or obstruct justice. If approved, he could be released from Paris’ La Santé prison within hours under judicial supervision. Meanwhile, Sarkozy faces additional legal challenges, including a November 26 ruling by France’s highest court regarding illegal financing of his failed 2012 reelection campaign and an ongoing investigation into alleged witness tampering in the Libya case.
Paris court is deciding whether to release former President Sarkozy from prison
