The media reported that Sarkozy had been released on parole.

On May 5, a Paris court judge granted the request of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to commute the sentence in the Bigmalion case related to the financing of his 2012 presidential campaign. This was reported on May 6 by RTL radio station, citing a source in the court.

"The judge reviewing sentencing cases in a Paris court granted Nicolas Sarkozy's request for a reduced sentence in a ruling dated Tuesday, May 5," the publication says.

According to the TV channel, Sarkozy received parole from May 7, 2026 due to his age. The lawyers of the former French leader declined to comment on this information.

From the Elysee Palace to the camera: Sarkozy went to prison

He will serve his sentence in La Santa, where famous prisoners of France were held.

The BFM TV channel reported on March 9 that Sarkozy would have to go back to prison, as the country's court refused to combine the two sentences previously handed down to him in different criminal cases. It is noted that we are talking about the "wiretapping case" and the process related to the falsification of accounts during the 2012 presidential campaign.

On November 10, 2025, the court decided to release Sarkozy from prison under judicial control. As part of the release, a number of prohibited actions are provided for the ex-president. It was noted that the former French president could not leave the country, communicate with other defendants in the case and contact the Minister of Justice Gerald Darmanin.

On September 25, it was reported that the Paris court sentenced Sarkozy to five years in prison in the case of illegal financing of his election campaign from Libya. He was also fined €100,000.