Nicolas Sarkozy va sortir de prison, après 20 jours de détention
The end of a "nightmare": the Paris Court of Appeal on Monday ordered the release of former President Nicolas Sarkozy, who had been imprisoned for twenty days following his conviction in the case of the Libyan financing of his presidential campaign.
During the hearing of his request this morning, the public prosecutor's office had requested the release from prison under judicial supervision of the former head of state, who appeared via videoconference from La Santé prison. The court imposed a broader "no contact" order, notably with the Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin, and a travel ban preventing him from leaving the country.
Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to be released from prison today, and will await his appeal trial, which is expected to begin in March, as a free man.
The Paris Court of Appeal examined his request for release during a public hearing lasting about fifty minutes.
"Prison is hard, very hard, certainly for any prisoner, I would even say it's exhausting," testified Nicolas Sarkozy, who followed the debates via videoconference with a closed face, offering through the screen the first image in history of a former President of the Republic in prison.
"I want to pay tribute to the prison staff who have been exceptionally humane and who made this nightmare, because it is a nightmare, bearable," he continued, dressed in a dark blue jacket, sweater and shirt.
"I am fighting for the truth to prevail," said the former president, 70, who has appealed his five-year prison sentence for conspiracy handed down on September 25.
In front of his wife Carla Bruni and two of his sons, Pierre and Jean, the Attorney General, Damien Brunet, asked that "Nicolas Sarkozy's request be granted" to release him under judicial supervision with a ban on contacting witnesses and co-defendants.
"It is undeniable that Mr. Sarkozy offers undeniable guarantees of representation, given his family ties to the country and his financial interests, which are well known to your court," he observed. "Such guarantees of representation in court are rarely found at this level before your court."
Nicolas Sarkozy was imprisoned just under a month after his conviction. This unprecedented detention for a former president of the Republic sparked heated debate. It is also a first in the European Union, where no former head of state has ever been imprisoned.
Like Xavier Bertrand, the LR president of Hauts-de-France, several right-wing leaders have said they want their former champion to get out of prison.
- "Only means" -
The Paris criminal court found him guilty of knowingly allowing his associates to approach Muammar Gaddafi's Libya to solicit covert funding for his victorious 2007 presidential campaign.
More than the conviction itself, it was the arrest warrant sending him to prison, with no possibility of appeal, that had caused astonishment. The judges justified it by the "exceptional gravity" of the offenses. Nicolas Sarkozy claimed it was motivated by "hatred."
However, in deciding on his release, the judges of the Court of Appeal did not rely on the same criteria as those used for the initial arrest warrant. Nicolas Sarkozy's appeal places his incarceration under the criteria for pre-trial detention, which differ from those for serving a sentence.
Detention was only possible if it was the "only way" to protect evidence, prevent pressure or collusion, prevent escape or recidivism, or to protect him.
- Detention, "a threat" for Sarkozy -
Jean-Michel Darrois, one of the former president's lawyers, assured the court that the idea that there could be "a repeat of the offense" and that there could be "pressure on witnesses" should be "excluded" from his mind.
"It is the detention that constitutes a threat to Nicolas Sarkozy, not the other way around," stressed Me Christophe Ingrain, another of his lawyers, observing that he had been "placed in isolation" for security reasons and that he had benefited from the protection of two agents in detention.
Among those convicted who were jailed after the September 25 judgment, the appeals court has already released under judicial supervision former banker Wahib Nacer, 81, but has kept intermediary Alexandre Djouhri in custody due to the risk of flight and pressure on protagonists in the case.
In their case, the public prosecutor's office had requested that they remain in detention.
The precise dates of the appeal trial, which have not yet been officially announced, should be communicated to the lawyers on Thursday, sources close to the case told AFP.
Commentaires (7)
"L'homme noir n'est pas assez entré dans l'histoire".
Par contre toi tu es entré dans l'histoire car tu es le premier président à aller au taule pour banditisme.
Pauvre voyou.
@DEUG:
on s'en fout de ce détail.
Tout ce qu'il faut retenir dans cette affaire c'est que nous sommes dans un monde profondemment corrompu et qu'il est de plus en plus difficile d'eduquer sa progeniture dans le respects de certaines valeurs qui font de nous des Humains.
Tout le monde savait que ce n'etait qu'une mascarade cette pseudo prison et qu'il allait sortir, c'etait pour faire croire au peuple que la justice est impartiale, alors que non! Plus on est riche, plus on a de l'influence , moins on risque quelque chose. Et cela ils le savent tous.
Je ne sais meme pas ou fuir pour continuer à rester humaine dans ce monde.
Justice de riches, toujours. Seuls les damnés pauvres de la terre croupissent en prison. D'autres sont transférés au chaud dans des hôpitaux ou cliniques en malades imaginaires.
C’est grave après la visite de Darmanin il est libre la France de Macron n’est plus le pays des droits de l’homme
Ah ces juges, partout pareils. Ils ne sont là que pour les riches finalement. Combien de gens croupissent dans les prisons à cause justement de vices mêmes riches et nantis. Comme par hasard, des qu’on les met en taule ils ont tous des maladies incompatibles . Qui est vraiment compatible avec la prison? Certains de ces juges sont simplement gênés de mettre en taule la main qui les nourrissait autrefois, comme au Sénégal. On comprend mieux le désarroi du PM qui réclame JUSTICE . Mais le système a sa propre justice, celle qui condamne les pauvres
On le savait dés le début que tout çà n est que mascarade et poudre aux yeux : la justice est sélective, elle incarne le double standard,le 2 poids 2 mesures.
La justice est faite pour ruiner les pauvres,les châtier et détruire leur avenir.
Les puissants,eux,échappent à la justice,même s ils commettent les crimes les plus odieux,les plus cynique et les plus abjecte,ils ne paieront pas.
Y en a si marre de cette Justice de merde.
Que chacun se rende justice lui même.
Le déstabilisation de la lubie et de tout le sahel.
Ce fils de pute
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