Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy is freed from prison after three weeks

 Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, has been released from jail, three weeks into a five-year prison term for taking part in a criminal conspiracy. He will be subject to strict judicial supervision and barred from leaving France. Sarkozy’s car was seen leaving La Sant prison in Paris just before 15:00 (14:00 GMT), less than an hour-and-a-half after a court agreed to his early release. Soon after, he was seen arriving at his home in western Paris.On 21 October, the former centre-right president, 70, was sentenced to five years for conspiring to fund his 2007 election campaign with money from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. His legal team immediately filed a request seeking his release. Christophe Ingrain, one of Sarkozy’s lawyers, hailed his client’s release as “a step forward” and said they would now be preparing for the appeal trial due to be held in March. One of the conditions of Sarkozy’s release is that he does not contact any justice ministry employees. During his incarceration, he was visited by Justice Minister Grald Darmanin. The visit prompted 30 French lawyers to file a complaint against Darmanin, highlighting what they said was a conflict of interest as Darmanin was a former colleague and friend of Sarkozy’s. Speaking to a court in Paris via video link, Sarkozy described his time in solitary confinement as “gruelling” and “a nightmare”. Public prosecutor Damien Brunet recommended that Sarkozy’s request for release be granted, but that the former president be banned from contacting other witnesses in the so-called “Libyan dossier”. Sarkozy, who has always denied any wrongdoing, told the court via video link that he had never had the “mad idea” of asking Gaddafi for money and stated he would “never admit to something I haven’t done”. Sarkozy also paid tribute to prison staff who had made his time in prison “bearable”. “They have shown exceptional humanity,” he said. Sarkozy’s wife, the singer and model Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and two of the former president’s sons were present in the courtroom to support him. Sarkozy is the first French ex-leader placed behind bars since World War Two Nazi collaborationist leader Philippe Ptain was jailed for treason in 1945. Since entering prison, Sarkozy has been held in a cell in the isolation wing. He had a toilet, a shower, a desk, a small electric hob and a small TV for which he paid a monthly 14 (12) fee and the right to a small fridge. He also had the right to receive information from the outside world and family visits as well as written and phone contact, but was in effect in solitary confinement. He was allowed just one hour a day for exercise, by himself in the wing’s segregated courtyard.    The post Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy is freedfromprison after three weeks appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.