The Paris Court of Appeal has accepted Nicolas Sarkozy's request for release under judicial supervision. The former president will be released from La Santé prison this Monday afternoon.

Nicolas Sarkozy will be released from prison. The Paris Court of Appeal ordered the former president's release under judicial supervision on Monday. He will be freed Monday afternoon. As part of this judicial supervision, he is prohibited from leaving French territory and from contacting the defendants and witnesses in the Libyan case. He is also prohibited from contacting the Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin.

During the hearing Monday morning, the public prosecutor's office requested his release from prison. "The risks of collusion and witness intimidation justify the request for placement under judicial supervision ," stated Advocate General Damien Brunet during the hearing. "This decision is a normal application of the law ," responded Nicolas Sarkozy's lawyer, Christophe Ingrain. "This is one step; the next step is the appeal trial. Our job now is to prepare for this appeal hearing ," he added. This appeal trial in the case of Libyan financing of his presidential campaign will take place next March.

Prison is "hard, very hard"

The former president of the Republic has been incarcerated for 20 days at the Santé prison in Paris, following his conviction in the case of the Libyan financing of the 2017 presidential campaign. "It's hard, it's very hard, it certainly is for any prisoner, I would even say it's exhausting ," Nicolas Sarkozy declared during the hearing in which he appeared via videoconference on Monday morning.

"I want to pay tribute to the prison staff who showed exceptional humanity and made this nightmare—because it is a nightmare—bearable ," he continued. "I will respect all the obligations imposed on me" should I be released, he added. As part of this judicial supervision, Nicolas Sarkozy

"It is detention that constitutes a threat to Nicolas Sarkozy, not the other way around."

"This detention has been a great source of suffering and pain for him ," emphasized one of his lawyers, Jean-Michel Darrois, who spoke alongside him via videoconference. Counsel assured the court that the idea of a possible repeat offense and the impossibility of any pressure being put on witnesses —criteria that could justify his continued detention—must be "excluded" from his mind .

"It is detention that constitutes a threat to Nicolas Sarkozy, not the other way around ," another of his lawyers declared on Monday. "That is why he is being placed in solitary confinement" in prison and is benefiting from the protection of two officers in detention, emphasized lawyer Christophe Ingrain.