Strict conditions

Ankle bracelet! Sarkozy is released from prison

Nicolas Sarkozy left prison again after just three weeks.(Bild: AFP/IAN LANGSDON)

The Paris Court of Appeal ruled on Monday that Nicolas Sarkozy will be released from prison early. The former French president was only sent to prison around three weeks ago and was allowed to leave on Monday - subject to strict conditions.

According to "Le Monde", the conditions include a ban on contact with other parties involved in the trial and Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, who visited him in prison at the end of October, as well as a ban on leaving France.

In September, Sarkozy (70) was sentenced to five years in prison by the Libyan Gaddafi regime for his intentions to corrupt with regard to funds for his election campaign and began his sentence in La Santé prison in Paris around three weeks ago.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy with his wife Carla Bruni (right) before his trial at the end of September(Bild: AFP/JULIEN DE ROSA)

He had always maintained his innocence during the trial. He saw his conviction as an "intolerable injustice" and a scandal. "I will fight until my last breath to prove my complete innocence."

Nicolas Sarkozy left prison again after just three weeks.(Bild: AFP/IAN LANGSDON)

(Bild: AFP/STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN)

Sarkozy: "I survived the ordeal"
Sarkozy, who held office at the Elysée Palace from 2007 to 2012, took part in the hearing on his early release via video conference on Monday. His stay in prison was "very hard" and "exhausting", he said. He continued: "I never thought I would go to prison at the age of 70. This ordeal was imposed on me and I survived it."

It was the first time that a former French president had been seen on screen in prison. His wife Carla Bruni and his eldest sons Pierre and Jean sat on the visitors' benches in the courtroom. The imprisonment of a French ex-president had caused a national and international sensation. It was the first time ever that an ex-head of state of an EU country was put behind bars.

Nine-square-metre cell and permanent surveillance
Like a normal prisoner, Sarkozy was assigned a cell measuring around nine square meters, but in a section where he had no contact with other prisoners. Due to his special position, he was guarded around the clock by two additional security guards. This sparked protests from the prison staff.

There was also criticism of the visit by Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, a former party colleague of the conservative Sarkozy. Several lawyers filed a complaint about this. Darmanin had justified his visit by saying that he wanted to review the conditions of the ex-president's detention. Sarkozy was also received by current French President Emmanuel Macron shortly before entering prison.