Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy Begins Prison Term
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy entered a Paris prison on Tuesday, beginning a five-year sentence for campaign finance violations, marking the first time a modern French head of state has been incarcerated.
Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, was driven to La Santé Prison in southern Paris, waving to supporters outside his home. His motorcade was heavily escorted by dozens of police vehicles and motorbikes.
Last month, a French court sentenced Sarkozy to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy linked to allegations that he illegally financed his 2007 presidential campaign with funds from Libya in exchange for diplomatic favors. He has appealed the conviction but is required to begin serving his sentence in the meantime.
The former president is expected to be held in either solitary confinement or the prison’s “VIP wing,” a section reserved for inmates considered at risk in the general population. This area typically houses politicians, former law enforcement officers, and individuals connected to extremist groups, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV.
Sarkozy took to X (formerly Twitter) to assert his innocence. “As I prepare to step inside the walls of La Santé prison, my thoughts go out to the French people of all walks of life and opinions,” he said. “It’s not a former president of the Republic being locked up this morning, it’s an innocent man.”
He added that he will continue to challenge what he described as a “judicial scandal” and emphasized the support of his family and friends.
Expressing his distress over the situation, Sarkozy remarked, “I feel a deep sorrow for France, which finds itself humiliated by the expression of a vengeance that has taken hatred to an unprecedented level.”
Meanwhile, Sarkozy’s lawyers have requested an early release, with the court expected to make a decision within two months, BFMTV reported.
