A group of lawyers has filed a complaint against French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin for what they say is an "illegal conflict of interest," following his visit to former president Nicolas Sarkozy, who is serving a prison sentence.
In a complaint filed Thursday evening, the group of 30 lawyers argued that the minister's visit is likely to "undermine the public's trust in the justice system and its professionals."
Darmanin met the former head of state's for 45 minutes on Wednesday evening at La Santé prison in Paris, in the presence of the jail's director.
The lawyers stated that "Darmanin's actions are causing harm to their practice and reputation, making it necessary to file this complaint with the Petitions Committee."
The complaint was filed with the Court of Justice of the Republic (CJR), the only court authorised to prosecute incumbent or former ministers for alleged offences committed while in office.
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After meeting with Sarkozy, Darmanin discussed security conditions throughout the prison, as well as those concerning Sarkozy's security arrangements with the director, according to a source cited by French news agency AFP.
Last week, Darmanin told the media he intended to visit Sarkozy to ensure his security conditions were adequate for his "exceptional status".
"I feel great sadness for President Sarkozy," Darmanin told broadcaster France Inter. "I was his colleague and cannot be insensitive to another man's distress."
Last month Sarkozy, France's president from 2007 to 2012, was handed a five-year jail term for criminal conspiracy over a plan for late Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi to fund his electoral campaign.
He was incarcerated at La Santé prison on 21 October and remains in a nine square metre cell in the prison's solitary confinement wing to avoid contact with other prisoners.
Two armed two policemen are stationed around the clock in nearby cells.
Sarkozy's is legal team has requested his release pending his appeal trial.
Appeal for release filed
The lawyers behind the legal complaint accused Darmanin of "implicitly offering" Sarkozy his "support".
They said they were "particularly outraged by the statements made by the justice minister" who publicly expressed "his compassion for Sarkozy by emphasising the personal ties between them."
Darmanin "took a position in a matter over which he has administrative power", said the complaint a copy of which was seen by AFP.
Such a stance, they added, "is likely to compromise the impartiality and objectivity of Mr Darmanin who, as justice minister, cannot take such a position in a pending case."
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Darmanin has already sought to address the controversy.
"Ensuring the safety of a former president in prison, which is unprecedented, in no way undermines the independence of magistrates but is part of my duty of vigilance as head of the administration," Darmanin has said on social media platform X.
The lawyers are not the only ones to have spoken out against the visit.
Top prosecutor Remy Heitz previously warned that such a visit risked "undermining the independence of magistrates".
(with newswires)
