If Sarkozy gets released with an ankle tag, it won’t be his first: Reuters notes that last year, France’s highest court upheld a separate conviction for corruption and influence peddling, ordering him to wear an electronic tag for a year, a first for a former French head of state. The tag has now been removed.
Defiant Sarkozy says life in prison is 'very hard' but insists he is innocent
In his closing arguments, reported by BFM TV, Sarkozy is reported to have lamented that his life in prison was “hard, very hard,” or “even say it’s gruelling,” as he once again insisted he was innocent.
“I will never confess to something I didn’t do,” he said, adding he continues his fight “for the truth to prevail.”
He also thanked the prison staff for helping him get through his time in jail.
Updated
Prosecutors request Sarkozy's supervised release from jail
The public prosecutor’s office appears to be in favour of releasing Nicolas Sarkozy from jail and imposing judicial supervision through other means, backed with a ban on contacting anyone else involved in the Libyan case, the French media Le Figaro and BFM TV are reporting.
During the hearing, Sarkozy was also asked about his professional activities and travels, which may suggest this issue could also part of the court’s order.
The court’s decision is expected at 1.30pm local time (12:30 GMT).
If the court decides to release Sarkozy and allow him to await the appeal out of jail, it could happen as early as today.
The country is set to celebrate a bank holiday tomorrow – the Armistice Day, marking the end of the first world war – which means that any decision taken today could be implemented very quickly so to avoid delays.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…
The court is currently going through a summary of the case so far, before it opens to submissions from defence, BFMTV is reporting.
There are no cameras inside, so we have to rely on what is being reported by those inside the Paris court room.
Hearing about Sarkozy's potential release begins
The hearing is now under way.
Former Sarkozy rival in the 2007 presidential election, Ségolène Royal, told TF1 she would not be shocked if he gets released from jail today. She said that just as making him go into prison – even for a bit – seemed to follow the existing case law, so would his possible release today.
Human rights activists seem to agree with that take, saying he may no longer meet the conditions for pre-trial detention.
But let’s see what happens.
Sarkozy's family and allies arrive in court
Sarkozy’s wife Carla Bruni has arrived at the Paris Appeal Court to support her husband in his effort to leave jail after just 20 days.
His lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, is also (obviously) there.
Updated
Morning opening: What's next for Nicolas Sarkozy?
A French court is expected to decide today on whether the country’s former president Nicolas Sarkozy could be released from jail pending his appeal against a five-year sentence over criminal conspiracy to obtain election campaign funds from the regime of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
Sarkozy has been in jail since 21 October, but his lawyers immediately requested that he be released pending trial, with an ankle tag or a house arrest as other available options.
He is expected to appear in court via video call.
AFP noted that the former president last month received a visit from justice minister Gérald Darmanin, despite warnings from France’s top prosecutor Remy Heitz that it risked “undermining the independence of magistrates” before the appeals trial.
Last week, Sarkozy used his social media to thank people for all letters of support sent to the prison, adding: “The end of this story has not been written yet.”
The hearing is expected to start shortly, and a decision could come as early as this afternoon. I will keep an eye on this story for you.
Separately, we will also cover some latest developments from Belgium, France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, and Ukraine, among others.
It’s Monday, 10 November 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
