Sarkozy freed from prison and put under ‘judicial supervision’ pending appeal – as it happened

4.38pm GMT Closing summary … and on that note, it’s a wrap! Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been released from jail and will await his appeal trial early next year at home under strict conditions (13:40, 14:47), which include prohibitions on talking to other accused or any officials from the country’s justice ministry. The former president will also be banned from leaving France, pending appeal. Sarkozy, accompanied by his wife, Carla Bruni, left the La Santé prison early afternoon and returned to his residence in west Paris (15:03, 15:17, 15:24). His lawyers said today’s decision was just the first step in a broader process of challenging the original sentence, adding “the next step is the appeal trial” (13:49). Earlier, Sarkozy had told a Paris appeals court by video link that his three weeks in jail had been “very hard” and “gruelling” (10:31). Related: Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy is released from prison Elsewhere, 79 people were hospitalised, mostly with light injuries, after two trains collided near Bratislava in Slovakia last night in a second high-profile crash in the last month (12:37). A man has gone on trial in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on charges of murdering six people and attempting to murder hundreds more by deliberately ploughing his SUV into a packed Christmas market last December (16:40). A Russian opposition activist arrested in Poland has admitted he worked as an undercover agent for Russia’s FSB security service and informed on other opposition figures, court documents claim (12:02). Ursula von der Leyen has offered an olive branch to the European parliament to head off a revolt over her plans for a radical shake-up of the EU budget (11:45). Carmakers in Europe have received their first deliveries of chips from the Chinese owned Nexperia plant following a lift on the ban on exports last week (12:54). And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today. If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com. I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa. 4.07pm GMT According to France Info, there are currently no plans for a public statement from Sarkozy this evening. 4.00pm GMT Palestinian man dismissed from Gaza says he's left penniless after losing access to bank account with severance pay A Palestinian man who was evacuated from Gaza to Egypt during the way and then dismissed by the EU after nearly 20 years service has said he has been left penniless unable to access a severance payment made by Brussels. Mohammad Baraka, who is suing the EU over alleged breach of Belgian law and discrimination, was told he would be paid €54,025.45 euro as a “comprehensive financial and welfare severance package following the end of his contract” in June. Related: Palestinian man dismissed from Gaza border assistance role to sue EU However, the payment was made in a single tranche, raising red flags of a potential corrupt payment, under controls put in place by the Palestinian Monetary Authority in cooperation with the Israeli ministry of finance under the Oslo Agreements on joint coordination between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. Under the rules no more than $10,000 can be transferred in a single transaction. Baraka says he has just $3 in his bank account, no access to the money and has had no contact from the EU over his welfare. He has now legal right to live in Egypt or to receive hospital care for his seriously ill wife, or the right to send his children to school. “Since I arrived in Egypt, they promised me dozens of times, ‘Don’t worry, we are with you, we will support and help you,’” he said. He said: “My bank account in Gaza is active and functions without problems. However, the bank is used to receiving my regular monthly salary. Suddenly, in July, they transferred a lump sum of €54,000 to my Gaza bank account without informing me in advance. The bank immediately froze the amount, and it remains blocked without explanation. I have no money, no work permit, and no one to support me here in Egypt. My family in Gaza lives in tents without homes or food, and they cannot even help themselves. Even the amount of 54,000 euros, which is my right, I have not received to be able to live with a little human dignity.” Asked about the situation on Monday, the EU said it could not comment on the payment. Updated at 4.01pm GMT 3.55pm GMT Netherlands presses on with plan to ban imports from illegal Israeli settlements in Jerusalem The Netherlands is still working on legislation to bar imports from illegal settlements in occupied Palestine, even though it has paused a push for broader sanctions on Israel after last month’s ceasefire deal in Gaza, the foreign minister has said during a visit to the region. The partial ban was a response to settlement expansion and spiralling Israeli violence against Palestinians that threatened the viability of the two-state solution, David van Weel said after visiting an area in the West Bank that had been targeted by settlers. “Now we deem it is not a time to increase sanctions on Israel because we want to see the peace plan implemented and we want to also encourage Israel to play a positive part in this,” he told the Guardian in an interview. “At the same time, we’re not blind to any movements on the West Bank that might move the two-state solution further (away).” Five EU countries have announced plans to impose sanctions on trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, where soldiers and settlers have killed more than 200 Palestinians this year, including 40 children. Spain and Slovenia have banned exports from settlements; Ireland and Belgium are working on legislation and implementation. Belgium and Spain have cut consular services to settlement residents. Van Weel said drawing up the legislation had been slow and difficult since trade policy was mostly controlled by the EU. “It’s not easy to make a carve-out,” he said. “We cannot just stop [all imports from illegal settlements] immediately because there is currently no legal basis for that. We are trying to make new policy now, then it has to go through parliament.” Related: Netherlands presses on with plan to ban imports from illegal Israeli settlements 3.40pm GMT Man goes on trial in Germany over deadly Christmas market car attack in Berlin A man has gone on trial in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on charges of murdering six people and attempting to murder hundreds more by deliberately ploughing his SUV into a packed Christmas market last December. Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, 51, a psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia, appeared in court on Monday wearing handcuffs and with his feet shackled, accompanied by armed police. He will be held in a bullet-proof glass case throughout the trial. In a lengthy indictment read out over several hours, the chief public prosecutor, Matthias Böttcher, said the defendant had acted “with the intention of killing an indeterminately large number of people”, when, on 20 December 2024, he “deliberately drove his 2-tonne, 340-horsepower car into a large number of pedestrians”. In what Böttcher described as a carefully planned attack that took place between 7.02pm and 7.04pm, the majority of deaths occurred within a few seconds. A nine-year-old boy and five women, aged between 45 and 75, were killed. A further 338 people were injured, 31 of them in a way prosecutors describe as life-changing. Abdulmohsen was described as a critic of Islam and a supporter of far-right views and radical conspiracy theories who appeared to have been motivated by “personal resentment” and a sense of “perceived injustice” after a legal dispute. Related: Man goes on trial in Germany over deadly Christmas market car attack 3.32pm GMT As there’s no sign of Sarkozy coming planning to come out to talk to reporters, let’s take a quick look at other stories across Europe instead. 3.08pm GMT Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy is released from prison - story in Paris The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been released from prison after a judge ruled he could serve the rest of his sentence at home. Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy arriving at his residence in Paris, France. Photograph: Jumeau Alexis/ABACA/Shutterstock Sarkozy was driven by car from La Santé prison in Paris accompanied by his wife, the singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and arrived at his home in the west of the city without making a public comment. Earlier, he had told a Paris appeals court by video link that his three weeks in jail had been “gruelling” and a “nightmare”. Sarkozy went to prison on 21 October, after a Paris court gave him a five-year sentence for criminal conspiracy over a scheme to obtain election campaign funds for his 2007 presidential race from the regime of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. He denies wrongdoing and has appealed against that verdict, with a fresh trial on appeal scheduled for next spring. Judges ruled last month that, because of the “exceptional gravity” of his conviction, he must go to prison while the appeals process took its course. A Paris appeal court on Monday granted Sarkozy’s request for release to serve his sentence at home with strict judicial controls. Under the terms of his release, Sarkozy will be forbidden from talking to any officials from the justice ministry, including the justice minister, Gérald Darmanin. Darmanin, who once considered Sarkozy as his mentor before rejoining Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party in 2017, visited the former president in prison last month. Some French magistrates criticised the move as undermining the independence of judges. Sarkozy will also be forbidden from talking to others involved in the case, and he will be banned from leaving France. At the hearing on Monday morning, Sarkozy, dressed in a navy blue suit, appeared on camera from prison, seated at a table with his lawyers beside him. He told the court: “I want to pay tribute to all the prison staff, who are exceptionally humane, and who have made this nightmare bearable – because it is a nightmare.” He said: “I never had any idea or intention to ask Mr Gaddafi for any kind of financing … I will never confess to something I didn’t do … I never imagined that at 70 years of age, I’d be in prison. It’s an ordeal that has been imposed on me. I confess it’s hard, it’s very hard. It leaves a mark on any prisoner because it’s gruelling.” 3.08pm GMT Let’s now cross to our Paris correspondent, Angelique Chrisafis, for her take on what happened today in Paris. 3.03pm GMT Two of Sarkozy’s sons – Jean and Pierre – were spotted near the former president’s residence in Paris. 2.24pm GMT And here’s the man himself, arriving back at his apartment in west Paris. Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy seen arriving at his flat in west Paris after leaving La Sante Prison earlier today. Photograph: Jumeau Alexis/ABACA/Shutterstock Updated at 2.25pm GMT 2.17pm GMT And Sarkozy has just arrived at his apartment, with his and police cars going past a group of reporters and other people gathered outside, with heavy police presence at the scene. Updated at 2.18pm GMT 2.10pm GMT Sarkozy - joined by his wife, Carla Bruni, as reported by Le Figaro – is now understood to be en route to his apartment in west Paris. We should get a first glimpse of the former president when he gets there. 2.03pm GMT Car believed to be carrying Sarkozy leaves La Santé Prison A car believed to be carrying Sarkozy has been reported leaving La Santé Prison. 1.47pm GMT Sarkozy's appeal trial expected in March The formal appeal trial (13:49) is expected to begin in March, with the dates expected to be confirmed later this week, BFM TV noted. 1.05pm GMT Sarkozy expected to be released this afternoon We are expecting Sarkozy to be released from the La Santé Prison this afternoon, according to French reporters outside the prison. I will make sure to bring you the latest when it happens, including pictures and potential quotes from the former president. Updated at 1.54pm GMT 1.01pm GMT 'Long live freedom!' Sarkozy's son says Nicolas Sarkozy’s son, Louis Sarkozy, has welcomed the court’s decision by posting a picture from his childhood with his dad, accompanied by a brief comment: “Long live freedom!” 12.49pm GMT Prison release just first step as defence eyes appeal process next, Sarkozy's lawyer says Sarkozy’s lawyer Christophe Ingrain offered a very brief response to the verdict, saying that today’s decision was just the first step, and that “the next step is the appeal trial.” “And our job now, for Nicolas Sarkozy and for us, is to prepare for that appeal hearing,” he said. 12.47pm GMT We are getting first lines from the ruling, with the court concluding that there was “no risk of concealment of evidence, pressure or collusion,” making “continued detention not justified.” But he will be subject to a number of strict conditions. France Info reported that as part of the ruling, Sarkozy is forbidden from leaving France. Curiously, Sarkozy will be forbidden from contacting other defendants in the Libyan case, but also the justice minister, Gérald Darmanin, who controversially visited him in jail during his brief incarceration. Updated at 12.54pm GMT 12.40pm GMT Paris court grants early release from prison for Sarkozy The Paris court has agreed to an early release of Sarkozy from prison, ordering him to be placed under “judicial supervision” instead, pending his appeal. BFM TV says he will be released from prison today. More details on the decision shortly. 12.03pm GMT Sarkozy would be safer out of prison, defence argues in Paris Sarkozy’s lawyer Jean-Michel Darrois, sitting next to him in the prison video link room, said: “Being in isolation has been very hard for him” (10:31). He said of Sarkozy: “He’s a strong, robust and courageous man and this detention has caused him great suffering.” In court, another of Sarkozy’s lawyers, Christophe Ingrain, who had visited him every day, said Sarkozy would be safer out of prison than inside. “He has faced death threats, has heard screaming at night and the urgent intervention in a neighbouring cell when a prisoner self-harmed,” he said. Sarkozy has been held in solitary confinement for his own security, in an individual cell of about 9 sq metres, with his own shower and toilet. Two bodyguards are occupying a neighbouring cell to ensure his safety. The French news weekly Le Point reported that he had been eating only yoghurt in prison as he feared any food might have been spat on. He had been offered the facilities to cook for himself but refused this, the magazine reported, citing unnamed sources. Related: Nicolas Sarkozy says life in prison is ‘gruelling’ and ‘a nightmare’ Updated at 12.03pm GMT 11.59am GMT Let’s go back to Paris, where we expect a decision on Sarkozy’s potential release from jail to be announced about half hour, at 13.30 Paris time (12.30 London time). 11.54am GMT European carmakers see first deliveries of Chinese chips after ban gets lifted Carmakers in Europe have received their first deliveries of chips from the Chinese owned Nexperia plant following a lift on the ban on exports last week. EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič confirmed on Saturday that the Chinese foreign ministry had decided it would “grant exemptions” for the export ban “provided that it is declared that the goods are intended for civilian use”. “The measure takes effect immediately,” he said. Ralf Brandstaetter, Volkswagen’s board member for China, told German newspaper Handelsblatt: “There have already been initial exports.” He also confirmed that the easing of restrictions that threatened to paralyse the car industry which was “days way” from closing assembly lines had been created by the deal between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Korea 10 days ago. Related: Businesses worldwide brace for extra Trump tariffs on steel imports As part of that deal China agreed to pause export bans for a year while the US reciprocated by pausing the “affiliate list” restrictions on companies with some Chinese shareholders including Wingtech, the owner of Nexperia. In turn, the Dutch government on Friday signalled it would step away from the plant in Nijmegen which it had commandeered in October because of the US security concerns. 11.49am GMT Rich countries have lost enthusiasm for tackling climate crisis, says Cop30 chief in Belém Rich countries have lost enthusiasm for combating the climate crisis while China is surging ahead in producing and using clean energy equipment, the president of the UN climate talks has said. More countries should follow China’s lead instead of complaining about being outcompeted, said André Corrêa do Lago, the Brazilian diplomat in charge of the Cop30 conference, which begins on Monday. “Somehow the reduction in enthusiasm of the global north is showing that the global south is moving,” Corrêa do Lago told reporters in Belém, the city in the Amazonian rainforest where the fortnight-long Cop30 conference is taking place. “It is not just this year, it has been moving for years, but it did not have the exposure that it has now.” He pointed to the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, China, which is also the biggest producer and consumer of low-carbon energy. “China is coming up with solutions that are for everyone, not just China,” he said. “Solar panels are cheaper, they’re so competitive [compared with fossil fuel energy] that they are everywhere now. If you’re thinking of climate change, this is good.” Ministers and high-ranking officials from 194 countries will seek to forge plans at Cop30 to stay within, or as close as possible to, the limit of 1.5C of heating set out in the Paris agreement, to set a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels, and to ensure that poor countries receive the help they need. Related: Rich countries have lost enthusiasm for tackling climate crisis, says Cop30 chief 11.37am GMT Dozens injured in Slovak train crash overnight 79 people were hospitalised, mostly with light injuries, after two trains collided near Bratislava in Slovakia overnight in a second high-profile crash in the last month. 13 people remained in hospitals overnight, with three suffering from more serious injuries, Pravda reported. Early inquiries reported in the Slovak press suggested that one of the train drivers rushed through a red light, with PM Fico talking about “a human factor,” as the investigation continues. Transport minister Jozef Ráž reportedly offered his resignation in the aftermath of the incident, but the country’s prime minister Robert Fico told him to stay in office, and asked him to dismiss the management of the Slovak public rail operator, Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko instead. The crash sparked a public debate about Slovakia’s slow rollout of the ETCS system intended, among others, to prevent similar incidents. 11.17am GMT Drone sightings disrupt flight operations at Liège over the weekend Belgium’s Liège airport faced drone disruptions again over the weekend with a 30-minute suspension of flights. Separately, three drones were also detected above Belgium’s Doel nuclear power plant. The UK and France have followed Germany in sending anti-drone teams to Belgium over the weekend to help fight further disruptions. Related: Britain sends RAF specialists to help Belgium combat disruptive drones Updated at 11.18am GMT 11.02am GMT Russian activist held in Poland admits he worked as FSB agent, court papers say in Warsaw A Russian opposition activist arrested in Poland and due to go on trial next month has admitted he worked as an undercover agent for Russia’s FSB security service and informed on other opposition figures, court documents claim. Igor Rogov, 30, has been associated with various opposition movements in the Russian city of Saransk, including Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation and Open Russia, linked to the exiled businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Rogov and his wife left Russia in 2021, according to the court documents, and in 2022 they received visas for Poland, where they arrived a few days after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and settled in the city of Sosnowiec. Rogov was arrested by Polish authorities last summer, initially due to suspected links to an explosive package. Poland has been hit by a wave of arson and other sabotage attacks that involve one-time operatives on the ground and are believed to be run by Russian intelligence operatives. Later, Rogov’s wife, Irina Rogova, was also arrested, and the couple were accused of cooperating with the FSB to inform on other Russian opposition activists. Related: Russian activist held in Poland admits he worked as FSB agent, court papers say 10.45am GMT EU's von der Leyen offers concessions to parliament to head off revolt over budget plans in Brussels Ursula von der Leyen has offered an olive branch to the European parliament to head off a revolt over her plans for a radical shake-up of the EU budget. The European Commission president promised concessions on the EU’s next long-term budget, including ringfenced minimum spending on rural areas and greater involvement of European regions. With these pledges – outlined in a letter to the European parliament president Roberta Metsola and Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen on Sunday – she hopes to cool the temperature in fraught negotiations over the EU’s long-term budget for 2028-34, known as the multiannual financial framework (MFF). Von der Leyen proposed in July the biggest overhaul to the EU budget in decades, with plans to merge the two biggest spending pots, the common agricultural policy and regional funds, into one with fewer defined programmes. Each member state would have more leeway in spending EU funds under its national plan. The commission argues this budget structure will be more flexible for an unpredictable world where the EU is seeking to spend more on defence and scientific research. With complaints of farmers ringing in their ears, MEPs pushed back. Leaders of the four political groups that support von der Leyen, the centre-right European People’s Party, the Socialists, the centrist Renew MEPs and the Greens, told her last month in a letter that the parliament “cannot accept this as a basis for starting negotiations” and threatened to vote down the budget. The parliament’s position matters because it must approve the MFF once it has been negotiated by the EU’s 27 member states. Von der Leyen is due to hold a video call with Metsola and Frederiksen later on Monday – Denmark holds the rotating presidency of the council of the EU, representing member states. In an 8-page proposal, the commission proposes ringfencing 10% of national plans for rural areas, in addition to €300bn already guaranteed to farmers in subsidies. The commission has also proposed a “regional check” to give local authorities more oversight and a bigger role for the European parliament via a “steering mechanism” that will also include the EU council. Will it work? MEPs will give their verdict on Wednesday when the European parliament debates the plans. 10.38am GMT As we are waiting for the Paris court decision on Sarkozy to come, expected around 13.30 local time (12.30 GMT), let’s take a look at other news across Europe. 10.00am GMT 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. 9.31am GMT 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 at 9.46am GMT 9.26am GMT 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). 9.05am 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… 9.01am GMT 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. 8.39am GMT Hearing about Sarkozy's potential release begins The hearing is now under way. 8.36am GMT 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. 8.33am GMT 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 at 8.34am GMT 8.30am GMT 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. Related: Nicolas Sarkozy enters prison to begin five-year sentence over criminal conspiracy 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.