Nicolas Sarkozy, the President of France between 2007 and 2012, was incarcerated on Tuesday morning at La Santé prison in Paris, where he will spend the next 5 years.
He was convicted of criminal conspiracy in the case of financing his 2007 electoral campaign with money from Muammar Gaddafi’s regime. He thus becomes the first French leader since the war to actually serve a prison sentence.
Sarkozy, who contested the conviction, left his villa in the 16th arrondissement of Paris holding hands with Carla Bruni, his wife, while dozens of people gathered in the street applauded and shouted "Nicolas! Nicolas!", as reported by The Guardian journalists.
On the way to the penitentiary, Sarkozy posted a message on X: "I have no doubt. The truth will come out. But how crushingly high the price paid will be. (...) Do not pity me, because my wife and children are by my side... but this morning I feel a deep pain for a France humiliated by a will for revenge."
In another post, he wrote: "I am innocent," denouncing the conviction as "a judicial scandal," as reported by the BBC.
First Hours at La Santé
At 09:40, the former president passed through the gates of La Santé prison. The French press notes that he was greeted with applause and words of encouragement from some inmates who recognized him.
There, Sarkozy occupies a cell of about 9 square meters, with a shower, toilet, and a small television, for which he must pay 14 euros per month. He will be entitled to one hour of daily exercise in the separate section's yard, access to a secure phone line, and two family visits per week.
"The detention conditions in an isolation section are quite harsh. You are alone all the time," said former prison deputy Flavie Rault to BFMTV. Sarkozy said he had been advised "to bring earplugs" because "at night, many noises, screams, and shouts can be heard."
"I Took with Me a Biography of Jesus and The Count of Monte Cristo"
In an interview with Le Figaro before his incarceration, Sarkozy said he had prepared a small bag with family photos and three books: a biography of Jesus, a historical volume, and the novel The Count of Monte Cristo, the story of a man wrongly convicted who escapes to seek revenge. "I will use the time in prison to write a book," added the former president, as quoted by BBC.
The former 69-year-old head of state was sentenced for criminal conspiracy and illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign, in the case regarding funds from Muammar Gaddafi's Libya. Judge Nathalie Gavarino, who pronounced the 5-year prison sentence, explained that the acts are "of exceptional gravity" and "likely to undermine citizens' trust."
Shortly after being incarcerated, his lawyer Christophe Ingrain filed an official release request. "Nothing justifies his incarceration. He will remain inside for at least three weeks or a month," the defender told the press.
The appeals court has two months to examine the request and may decide on release under judicial control, house arrest with an electronic bracelet, or maintaining detention if there is a risk of influencing witnesses or destroying evidence.
A survey by Elabe, cited by The Guardian, shows that 60% of French people consider the conviction "fair," while others see it as an act of political revenge.