Sarkozy, sentenced to five years, released from prison after just 20 days
Photo: former French President Nicolas Sarkozy (Getty Images)
A Paris court has ruled on the early release of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy from prison, replacing his imprisonment with "judicial supervision" until his appeal is heard, The Guardian reports.
The son of the politician, Louis Sarkozy, was the first to react to the news. He posted an archival childhood photo with his father on social media, captioning it with a short phrase, "Long live freedom!" he added.
Lawyer Christophe Ingrain stated that the release is "the first step," with the next being the appeal hearing.
"And our job now... is to prepare for that appeal hearing," he noted.
Another lawyer, Jean-Michel Darrois, described the difficult conditions Sarkozy faced during his imprisonment. According to him, the former president found the isolation "very hard."
In court, Ingrain emphasized that his client would be safer outside prison walls. The lawyer said Sarkozy faced threats, heard shouting at night, and witnessed urgent intervention by guards in a neighboring cell where another inmate had harmed himself.
Sarkozy was held in a separate single cell of about 9 square meters. The room had its own shower and toilet, and for the politician’s safety, two guards were constantly stationed in an adjacent cell.
Additionally, French weekly Le Point reported that the politician hardly trusted prison food and mainly ate yogurts, fearing possible incidents from other inmates.
According to the outlet, he was offered the option to cook for himself but declined.
BFM TV reports that Sarkozy will be released from prison today.
Sarkozy’s imprisonment
On September 25, a Paris court sentenced Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison, with one year suspended. This marked the first time in modern French history that a former head of state was imprisoned.
It was reported that only on October 21 did the former French president arrive at the prison to begin serving his sentence. By October 22, the Paris prosecutor’s office stated that he could face the risk of death while behind bars.
Previously, it was reported that former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who had recently begun serving his five-year prison term, received death threats from another inmate.
