Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at a Paris prison on October 21 to begin serving a five-year sentence for conspiring to finance his 2007 election campaign with money from Libya, the Associated Press reported.
Nicolas Sarkozy became the first former French president to be imprisoned. He walked down the avenue outside his home on Tuesday, holding hands with his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, before heading to prison. The couple walked slowly past a crowd of reporters to their children and grandchildren. Sarkozy waved to supporters before getting into his car.
He is contesting both the conviction and the judge’s unusual decision to begin serving his sentence before an appeal is heard. Hundreds of supporters gathered outside his home in an upscale Paris neighborhood, applauding, chanting “Nicolas, Nicolas” and singing the French anthem. French flags were hung on a nearby fence with the words “Courage, Nicolas, come back soon” and “The true France with Nicolas.”
Sarkozy will be held in a separate cell, isolated from other prisoners for security reasons, his lawyers said. Defense attorney Christophe Ingren told BFM television that the imprisonment “strengthens his resolve and intensifies his rage, his desire to prove his innocence”. He also added that Sarkozy plans to write a book about his prison experience.
Another lawyer, Jean-Michel Darrois, noted that the former president had “morally prepared” for solitary confinement:
“At first he packed a bag with a few sweaters because it’s cold in prison, and earplugs because it’s very noisy. The isolation he will have to endure is painful, but he is prepared”.
A Paris court ruled that Sarkozy must begin serving his sentence without waiting for an appeal hearing due to the “seriousness of the public order breach caused by the crime”.
According to the court’s decision, the 70-year-old Sarkozy will only be able to file a petition for release with the appeals court once he is in prison. The judges will have up to two months to consider it. Lawyers have confirmed that the corresponding petition will be filed in the near future.
As a reminder, on September 25, a Paris court found Sarkozy guilty of conspiracy to illegally finance his 2007 campaign. According to the prosecutor’s office, in 2005 he agreed with Muammar Gaddafi to receive funds in exchange for supporting the Libyan government on the international stage.
