On Monday, the French prosecutor’s office asked the court to release former president Nicolas Sarkozy from prison. TASR informs about it according to the AFP agency. “The risk of collusion and witness pressure justifies the request for supervised release,” said prosecutor Damien Brunet.
- The French prosecutor’s office is requesting the conditional release of Nicolas Sarkozy.
- Sarkozy is serving a five-year sentence for criminal conspiracy.
- Sarkozy’s sentence began on October 21 at La Santé.
- The imprisoned former president is the first in his category in the EU.
- French prisoners over 70 can apply for parole.
The convicted ex-president participated in the hearing via telebridge. He told the court that the prison conditions were difficult. “It’s hard, very hard, certainly for every prisoner. I’d even say it’s grueling.” he said. He thanked the prison guards, since in his words, they “made this nightmare bearable.”
Sarkozy is to serve five years in prison for conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign. He appealed against the verdict, but the court nevertheless ordered him to start serving the sentence. He entered La Santé prison in Paris on October 21 and became the first ex-president of an EU state to be imprisoned.
Due to his age, 70-year-old Sarkozy could apply for parole immediately after the start of his sentence. In France, such a provision applies to prisoners aged 70 and over, allowing them to serve their sentences outside prison under certain conditions.
