Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who served from 2007 to 2012, has been released on parole after serving his sentence in the case involving excessive spending on his 2012 election campaign.
“Elchi” reports that this was announced by the “RTL” radio station, citing the Paris Court of Appeal.
The court granted Sarkozy’s request for a lighter sentence. As a result, the former president will no longer have to wear the electronic bracelet he was required to wear while serving his six-month sentence in this case.
Sarkozy’s case has been dubbed “Bygmalion” in the press, named after the public relations agency that managed his 2012 election campaign. Investigators stated that Sarkozy raised 42.8 million euros for his campaign, twice the legal limit. On February 16, 2016, the former president was charged with intentionally exceeding campaign financing rules.
In February 2024, the Paris Court of Appeal found Sarkozy guilty of illegal financing of his 2012 election campaign and sentenced him to one year in prison, with six months served and six months suspended.