"Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy described his imprisonment as a "nightmare" as a Paris appeal court on Monday examined his request for his release pending an appeals trial after being convicted of criminal conspiracy. The court decided to release Sarkozy from prison three weeks into a five-year sentence, and place him under judicial supervision. He will leave La Sante prison in Paris later Monday afternoon."
"Labeled the "Libyan case" by French media, the accusations have been kicking around since 2011, when a Libyan news outlet published a story about the campaign financing. The allegations gained traction in 2016, when Takieddine said he had personally delivered suitcases full of cash from Libyan officials to the French Interior Ministry. Sarkozy, who was president of France from 2007 to 2012, has already been convicted of corruption and influence peddling in unrelated cases."
"The 70-year-old appeared via video call from prison, wearing a dark blue jacket and flanked by lawyers. "It's hard, very hard, certainly for any prisoner. I would even say it's grueling," he told the court, but that prison staff had made "this nightmare... bearable." Prosecutor Damien Brunet had asked the court to agree to Sarkozy's request for release. "The risks of collusion and pressure on witnesses justify the req"
Nicolas Sarkozy was imprisoned after a lower court convicted him of criminal conspiracy for allegedly seeking funding from Moammar Gadhafi's Libya ahead of his 2007 election. He entered La Sante prison on October 21 and became the first former head of a European Union member state to be incarcerated. A Paris appeal court examined his request for release pending an appeals trial and decided to free him after three weeks, placing him under judicial supervision. The allegations, labeled the "Libyan case", date to 2011 and intensified in 2016 when Takieddine claimed to have delivered suitcases of cash. Sarkozy has prior unrelated convictions.
Read at www.dw.com
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