Ex-French President Sarkozy released from prison — three weeks into five-year sentence

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been released from jail, three weeks into a five-year prison term for partaking in a criminal conspiracy.

A Paris court ruled on Monday that Sarkozy will be placed under judicial supervision and barred from leaving France ahead of an appeal trial due to be held next year.

After his release, the former president said his “energy is focused solely on the single goal of proving my innocence”.

“The truth will prevail. It is an obvious truth that life teaches. The end of the story remains to be written,” he said in an X post.

Sarkozy faced accusations that Muammar Gaddafi, the late Libyan dictator, funded his 2007 presidential campaign with euros running into millions.

In September, the former French president was found guilty of criminal association in the plot from 2005 to 2007 in exchange for diplomatic favours, and in October, his five-year prison sentence started.

The historic ruling made the 70-year-old the first former president of France in modern times to be sentenced to jail.

His legal team immediately filed a request seeking his release.

However, the court ruled that Sarkozy would remain detained despite intentions to appeal and ordered him to pay a fine of €100,000.

Christophe Ingrain, one of his lawyers, said the former president’s release is “a step forward”.

Ingrain added that the legal team would begin preparing for the appeal trial expected in March.