He assumed. Although Nicolas Sarkozy was released after being sentenced to five years in prison in the Libya case, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said he did not regret his visit to the former head of state while he was in prison.
🔴 Gérald Darmanin does not regret “not at all” visiting Nicolas Sarkozy in prison
🗣️ “He is an extraordinary prisoner. He was threatened. If he is injured or killed in prison, who is responsible? Heads of government, ministers, I have no regrets” pic.twitter.com/g5FZDZKnyE
— TF1Info (@TF1Info) November 11, 2025
“I visited three prisons a week,” the minister assured on the set of the TF 1 television news this Tuesday evening. Nicolas Sarkozy “is an extraordinary prisoner and the conditions of his detention are extraordinary,” he added.
“I remember he was threatened. There were even investigations and searches in the health prison following these threats. If he was injured, if he was killed in prison, who is responsible? The head of the prison administration, the minister. And I took my responsibility. Being aware of the conditions of detention of the most dangerous people, such as drug traffickers or terrorist agents, and also the most vulnerable prisoners is normal,” explained Gérald Darmanin.
“I fulfilled my role and I regret nothing,” insisted the Justice Minister.
Contact is prohibited by the court
On October 29, the Minister of Justice, who considered Nicolas Sarkozy one of his political mentors and who had expressed his “sadness” after he was convicted in the Libya case, spoke with him in a Paris health prison, in the presence of the director of the institution. The visit, announced earlier, has sparked criticism, especially from judges.
This Monday, the Paris Court of Appeal ordered the release of former President Nicolas Sarkozy, who until then had been imprisoned for twenty days after being convicted in the case of Libyan funding of his presidential campaign. The court also imposed an extended “contact ban”, particularly with Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, and left the national territory.
Regarding the ban on contact with the former president, Gérald Darmanin stated that he did not want to “comment on the court decision” and wanted to maintain his “personal” opinion.
“In the rule of law, there is a separation of powers. I imagine Nicolas Sarkozy will respect his obligations. We will all respect the court’s decision,” he said.
