Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy given early jail release

by · UPI

Nov. 10 (UPI) -- France's former President Nicolas Sarkozy will be released from jail as he seeks appeal of his recent conviction for alleged criminal conspiracy attempt.

In September, Sarkozy was convicted of conspiracy stemming from campaign finance funding from the late Libyan strongman leader Moammar Gaddafi.

He could be set free as early as Monday from La Sante prison while awaiting a pending appeal trial in March, according to the BBC and CNN.

On Monday, the former center-right politician said his 20 days behind bars had been "very hard."

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Sarkozy gave tribute to prison staff, saying via videolink they showed "an exceptional humanity which made this nightmare bearable."

Sarkozy has vehemently denied any wrongdoing in the case, which alleged his 2007 presidential campaign was funded by millions of euros from Libya.

He reported to the high-security prison in Paris in October to begin a five-year sentence where he reportedly was housed in a "VIP" unit with a security detail. According to Sarkozy, the books he took with him were two volumes of "The Count of Monte Cristo" and a biography of Jesus Christ.

Meanwhile, Sarkozy is barred from leaving France as part of his release, is forbidden from contacting French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin in addition to other names implicated in the ongoing criminal case.

He stated Monday he never had the "mad idea" of asking the Libyan dictator for money, adding he would "never admit to something I haven't done."

Sarkozy is the first French leader to be imprisoned since Nazi collaborator Philippe Pétain in 1945 for treason.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your mobilization," Sarkozy said Thursday on social media with a video of thousands of letters to him in jail.

"The end of the story is not yet written," he wrote on X.