On Monday, a court in Paris will decide whether Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president of France, will be released from prison, just 20 days after his incarceration. Sarkozy was sentenced to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy related to the financing of his 2007 campaign with funds from Libya, thus becoming the first former president of modern France to be sentenced to prison.
His legal team has contested the conviction and requested early release, invoking Article 144 of the French Penal Code, which states that release should be the rule pending appeal. In the event that the request is granted, Sarkozy will be placed under judicial supervision and could be released from La Santé prison in Paris within hours. The former president, who claims to be innocent, will provide guarantees to the court that he will comply with the requirements of justice.
Sources