France’s former president Nicolas Sarkozy has received a prison visit from the justice minister, a source close to the case said on Thursday, despite a prosecutor warning that it could undermine judicial independence.

Gerald Darmanin met Sarkozy on Wednesday evening at La Sante prison in the presence of the jail’s director, and discussed the former head of state’s security arrangements, the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Before he was locked up, Darmanin said he intended to visit Sarkozy to ensure his security conditions were adequate for his “exceptional status”.

Top prosecutor Remy Heitz at the time warned that such a visit risked “undermining the independence of magistrates”.

Fifty-seven percent of French people also disapproved of the visit, according to a sur

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