Nicolas Sarkozy, France's former president, is asking a Paris court to grant early release after 20 days in custody following a five-year sentence for criminal conspiracy tied to alleged Libyan funding of his 2007 campaign. Judges will apply Article 144 of the criminal code, which generally favors release pending appeal unless detention is needed to prevent flight, danger, or witness interference. Sarkozy denies wrongdoing, calls the case a 'plot,' and faces other legal proceedings, including a separate finance conviction under review by the Court of Cassation.
Why Nicolas Sarkozy Could Be Freed After Just 20 Days Behind Bars
Nicolas Sarkozy, France's former president, is asking a Paris court to grant early release after 20 days in custody following a five-year sentence for criminal conspiracy tied to alleged Libyan funding of his 2007 campaign. Judges will apply Article 144 of the criminal code, which generally favors release pending appeal unless detention is needed to prevent flight, danger, or witness interference. Sarkozy denies wrongdoing, calls the case a 'plot,' and faces other legal proceedings, including a separate finance conviction under review by the Court of Cassation.
19:37, 09.11.2025Politics
Paris — A court in Paris will on Monday decide whether former French president Nicolas Sarkozy should be granted early release just 20 days after being taken into custody following a five-year prison sentence.
Court to weigh early release
Sarkozy was convicted on Sept. 25 of criminal conspiracy in a scheme prosecutors say was intended to finance his successful 2007 presidential campaign with funds from Libya. The five-year sentence was declared effective immediately, and he was incarcerated on Oct. 21. His lawyers have appealed the conviction and filed a request for conditional release pending that appeal.
Legal basis: Article 144
Judges will decide the request under Article 144 of France's criminal code, which makes release the general rule while appeals are pending and detention the exception. Detention may be justified only when a defendant is considered dangerous, is likely to flee, or might interfere with evidence or witnesses. The article governs whether custody should continue during the appeal and does not re-litigate the original sentence.
What could happen Monday
If the court grants conditional release, Sarkozy would be placed under judicial supervision and could be freed from La Santé prison in Paris within hours. During the hearing he is expected to offer guarantees that he will comply with release conditions while his appeal proceeds.
Conviction and allegations
The Sept. 25 ruling said that between 2005 and 2007, while serving as interior minister and then as a presidential candidate, Sarkozy "used his position to prepare corruption at the highest level" to obtain Libyan financing for his campaign. The judges cited secret meetings in 2005 between two of Sarkozy's closest aides, Claude Guéant and Brice Hortefeux, and Abdullah al-Senoussi, Gadhafi's intelligence chief and brother-in-law, who has been convicted in absentia of terrorism-related crimes.
The court found that a complex financial scheme had been put in place, though it also noted there is no clear proof that Libyan transfers were directly spent on Sarkozy's 2007 campaign.
Sarkozy's defense
Sarkozy maintains his innocence and characterizes the case as a 'plot' orchestrated by individuals linked to the former Libyan regime. He has argued the accusations stem from political revenge after he publicly pressed for Moammar Gadhafi's ouster in 2011. The former president also highlights that he was acquitted on several other counts in the same trial and that judges did not establish a direct link between Libyan funds and campaign expenses.
Other legal battles
Sarkozy faces multiple legal proceedings. France's highest court, the Court of Cassation, is due to rule on Nov. 26 in a separate matter involving an earlier conviction for illegal campaign financing related to his failed 2012 re-election bid. In that case an appeals court previously handed a one-year prison term, six months suspended.
He is also under preliminary charges in another probe tied to the Libya financing allegations over an alleged attempt to influence a witness; his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, received preliminary charges in that inquiry. Separately, Sarkozy was previously convicted in 2021 and again on appeal in 2023 for corruption and influence-peddling in a different case and was sentenced to electronic monitoring, later released conditionally in May due to his age.
What to watch next
The Paris court's decision on Monday will determine whether Sarkozy remains in custody while his appeal proceeds. If released, the move would be temporary pending the full appeals process, which could stretch into next year.