The court orders the release of Nicolas Sarkozy, under judicial supervision.

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The first image of a free man. On Monday, November 10, at 3:30 p.m., Nicolas Sarkozy returned home, just minutes after leaving La Santé prison. He thanked his supporters in writing on his social media accounts and reiterated that he had only one objective. "My energy is focused solely on proving my innocence. The truth will prevail," he asserted.

There was no triumphalism from the lawyer of the former president of the Republic, who argued his request for provisional release on Monday morning. "This decision is a normal application of the law, of the code of criminal procedure. It's one step; the next step is the appeal trial," reacted Mr. Christophe Ingrain.

The judges ruled that Nicolas Sarkozy would not evade justice. On Monday morning, at the hearing, the former head of state spoke via videoconference from La Santé prison. He appeared thinner on screen. He spoke of his 21 days behind bars. "I never imagined I would have to wait 70 years to experience prison. This ordeal was forced upon me. It's hard, it's very hard," he confided.

On Monday night, Nicolas Sarkozy will not be sleeping in prison, but he is now subject to very strict judicial control: prohibition from leaving the territory, from contacting the people mentioned in the Gaddafi case and from meeting Gérald Darmanin, the current Keeper of the Seals.

This court decision was met with mixed reactions from those who had sought his conviction in the Libyan financing case, for which he was convicted on October 21st. "This imprisonment feels rushed. For the civil party I represent, it's neither a victory nor a defeat because it says absolutely nothing about the substance of this case, which now belongs to the Court of Appeal," declared Vincent Brengarth, lawyer for the civil party, "Association Sherpa."

In the case concerning Libyan financing of his campaign, Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiracy. His appeal trial is scheduled for March 2026.