The prosecutor at the Paris Court of Appeal, where the former French president’s appeal is being heard, has requested the release of Nicolas Sarkozy under judicial supervision. Sarkozy has been in prison for the past 20 days.

According to the prosecutor, Damien Brinet, “the exceptional seriousness of the events and the severity of the sentence should not be taken into account. Only the criteria of Article 144 (of the Criminal Procedure Code) are relevant.”

Prosecutor Brinet explained that the risks of Sarkozy communicating with potential accomplices or exerting pressure on witnesses “support the request for him to be placed under judicial supervision.”

It is recalled that the former French president was convicted in the case concerning the alleged funding of his 2007 presidential campaign by the Gaddafi regime in Libya.

During the appeal hearing, Sarkozy stated that his time in prison is “very harsh,” “exhausting,” “a nightmare.”

“It’s harsh, very harsh, certainly for any prisoner, and I would even say it is exhausting,” he said, adding that he wants to pay tribute to the prison staff who “made this nightmare bearable,” while his wife Carla Bruni was present.

According to French media, the court’s decision is expected around 14:30 this afternoon.