Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to be released from La Santé prison after a Paris court approved his request for early release while he awaits an appeal of his September conviction for criminal conspiracy, CNN affiliate BFMTV reports.
Sarkozy, 70, was sentenced to five years for allegedly using funds from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to finance his 2007 presidential campaign. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Speaking via videolink, Sarkozy described his time in prison as “very hard” and “a nightmare,” but praised prison staff for their treatment, saying they showed “exceptional humanity.”
ALSO READ: ‘Failing isn’t failure’, Kim Kardashian says after not meeting bar exam cut-off
Under the court’s terms, he will remain under strict judicial supervision, barred from leaving France, and forbidden from contacting witnesses in the case, including current Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin. Prosecutors had recommended his release under these conditions.
Sarkozy’s wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and two of his sons were present at the hearing to support him. If released, he would be the first former French president jailed since World War II.
Sarkozy, who served from 2007 to 2012, has faced multiple legal battles since leaving office, including a previous conviction for attempting to bribe a magistrate.