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Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been freed from prison, despite having been sentenced to five years for his role in a criminal conspiracy involving illegal funding from Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 election campaign. Released after only three weeks, Sarkozy will now be subject to stringent judicial supervision, including a ban on leaving France, as he awaits his appeal trial scheduled for next year.
Writing on social media after the release, Sarkozy said his "energy is focused solely on the single goal of proving my innocence."
"The truth will prevail... The end of the story is yet to be written."
Sarkozy's car was seen leaving La Santé 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.
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 expected in March.
One condition of Sarkozy's release is he does not contact any other witnesses in the so-called "Libyan dossier" or any justice ministry employees.
During his incarceration, he was visited by Justice Minister Gérald 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 on Monday morning, Sarkozy described his time in solitary confinement as "gruelling" and "a nightmare". He said he had never had the "mad idea" of asking Gaddafi for money and stated he would "never admit to something he hasn'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 Pétain was jailed for treason in 1945.
