PARIS (AP) — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy entered a Paris prison on Tuesday to begin a five-year term for criminal conspiracy related to financing his 2007 presidential campaign with Libyan funds — marking a historic first for modern France, as he is the first ex-leader to face imprisonment.
The 70-year-old was met by a crowd of supporters as he left his Paris residence, hand-in-hand with his wife, former model and singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. He shared an embrace with her before getting into a police vehicle.
Shortly after, the car pulled through the gates of La Santé prison, where he will serve his sentence in solitary confinement.
Convicted last month for a scheme to unlawfully fund his campaign, Sarkozy is contesting the conviction and a judge’s uncommon decision to incarcerate him while his appeal is pending. His legal team announced on Tuesday that they had filed a motion for his immediate release.
A Defiant Stance
Sarkozy’s lawyer, Jean-Michel Darrois, remarked that this is a troubling day for Sarkozy, France, and its institutions, asserting “this incarceration is a disgrace.” In defiance, Sarkozy issued a statement on social media, insisting “an innocent man” is imprisoned. He stated, “I will continue to denounce this judicial scandal. The truth will prevail.”
In his correspondence with Le Figaro, Sarkozy mentioned he will bring three books to prison, including “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas, which features a protagonist who escapes from an island prison for revenge. He also indicated a desire to fight the charges until the end, declaring, “I’m not afraid of prison; I’ll hold my head high.”
Solitary Confinement Conditions
According to his lawyers, Sarkozy will be isolated from other inmates for safety reasons. They stated he packed warm clothing due to the prison’s cold environment and earplugs for the noise. Lawyer Christophe Ingrain condemned the situation as “a serious injustice,” noting that while it is tough, Sarkozy is remaining resilient and has not requested special treatment.
Sarkozy will spend most of his time alone, permitted only an hour outdoors each day and three family visits weekly. He is reportedly drafting a book about his experience in prison. As the news unfolded, hundreds of supporters rallied outside his home, expressing pride in his resilience, with some holding flags inscribed with messages of support.
French President Emmanuel Macron had met with Sarkozy recently at the presidential palace, highlighting the humanity of the situation despite the scandal surrounding it. On Tuesday, Macron refrained from commenting on the legal decision, emphasizing the need to separate public emotion from the justice system’s integrity.
The court had ruled for Sarkozy to serve time without delay due to the severity of the offense’s public disorder impact. The ruling indicates that while he is now in prison, he can only submit a release request once while incarcerated, with judges having up to two months to respond.
___
Contributors: Angela Charlton, Oleg Cetinic, and Nicolas Garriga from the Associated Press.
