A Paris court granted former French President Nicolas Sarkozy early release from jail on Monday, pending an appeal, just weeks after he started a five-year sentence for conspiring to raise campaign funds from Libya.
The former conservative president, 70, was jailed on October 21 after a court found him guilty in September of criminal conspiracy over efforts by close aides to procure funds for his 2007 presidential bid from late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
He was acquitted of all other charges, including corruption and receiving illegal campaign financing.
He is now due to leave La Sante prison in Paris later on Monday afternoon.
PROSECUTOR RECOMMENDED RELEASE WITH STRICT SUPERVISION
Sarkozy's prison sentence had been enforced swiftly because of the "extraordinary seriousness" of the crime, judge Nathalie Gavarino told the court.
He was incarcerated at La Sante prison in Paris last month - a stunning downfall for a man who had led France from 2007 until 2012.
But the public prosecutor on Monday recommended that Sarkozy be freed pending his appeal and put under strict judicial supervision, with a ban on contact with other indicted individuals and witnesses involved in the proceedings. The prosecutor said that Sarkozy did not represent a flight risk.
The court agreed to release him under judicial supervision, which would include a ban on leaving France, BFM TV said.
Sarkozy has consistently denied wrongdoing, calling himself a victim of revenge and hatred. He did not attend the hearing in person but was taking part via video link from prison.
He told the court earlier on Monday that he would respect any demand from the judiciary if he was freed.
"I'm French, sir. I love my country. I’m fighting for the truth to prevail. I will comply with all the obligations imposed on me, as I always have," he said.
Speaking of being in jail, he added: "It’s tough. Really tough — as it must be for any detainee. I’d even say it’s draining."
Sarkozy has consistently denied wrongdoing and has appealed, calling himself a victim of revenge and hatred. He will not attend the hearing but be represented in the appeals court by lawyers.
In French criminal law, those justifications include the need to prevent a continuation of the crime or to ensure that the accused remains available to the justice system.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have concluded talks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as leade...
Qatar has discussed potential investment in Afghanistan’s oil and gas sectors and the construction of a crude o...
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Tehran is not pursuing a military conflict but promised a strong response to 'agg...
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have concluded talks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as leaders gather for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Iran has reached an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz, but the waterway will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils its commitments, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused U.S. government and Israel-aligned actors of manipulating energy markets to promote the war with Iran.
Russian strikes on the Kyiv region overnight killed 37 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Zelenskyy added that the Ukrainian capital was under "virtually nonstop attack" from drones.
U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, with Tehran responding by launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Jordan in the first direct U.S.-Iran military escalation in weeks.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Tehran is not pursuing a military conflict but promised a strong response to 'aggressors' while the Army and Revolutionary Guards said they carried out retaliatory attacks against U.S. bases in the region on Monday.
Kyrgyzstan is hosting the sixth World Nomad Games, bringing together thousands of athletes from around the world for a celebration of traditional sports, cultural heritage and nomadic traditions.
Pakistan is set to take over the rotating chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation after the bloc’s leaders meet in Bishkek. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived on Friday to attend the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting and SCO Plus Summit, which run until 2 September.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the actions of Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Qusra, saying security operations should be handled only by state institutions, including the army and police.
Rescue teams in Nepal, supported by Chinese and Indian experts, worked through the night to reach hundreds of people believed to be trapped inside blocked hydropower project tunnels following last week’s catastrophic Himalayan flood.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment