Sarkozy freed from custody pending appeal

A Paris appeals court ordered the release of former president Nicolas Sarkozy from custody while he appeals his criminal-conspiracy conviction linked to alleged Libyan funding for his 2007 presidential campaign. Having begun a five-year sentence at La Santé prison after the September verdict, Sarkozy returned to his Paris home under strict judicial supervision. The court ruled he did not present a sufficient flight or evidence-tampering risk to justify continued detention.

The release carries conditions: he is forbidden to leave France, banned from contacting co‑defendants or key witnesses, and subject to other restrictions intended to prevent interference with the judicial process. The public prosecutor had recommended freeing him pending appeal. The decision leaves the conviction intact for now; the appeal is scheduled for next year and could overturn the sentence.

Sarkozy has consistently denied wrongdoing, calling himself a target of revenge and hatred, and described detention as “gruelling.” He took part in the hearing via video link and pledged to respect judicial measures if released. His swift incarceration in October followed judges’ characterization of the offence’s “extraordinary seriousness,” making his imprisonment a stark fall for a former head of state.

The case centers on allegations that campaign aides arranged illicit funding from the regime of Muammar Gaddafi in exchange for diplomatic favours. While acquitted of some related charges, Sarkozy was found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a widely watched trial that made him the first former European president to begin serving a prison term for such an offence. Investigations and legal proceedings have continued to shadow his post-presidential life.

Legal and political observers say the release alters the immediate optics: it spares the political arena the prolonged image of a detained ex‑president but keeps unresolved legal and reputational questions alive. The outcome of the appeal will be decisive for Sarkozy’s standing and any potential behind-the-scenes influence in centre‑right politics. For now, he remains subject to judicial oversight and the conviction remains on record unless overturned on appeal.