Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to begin five-year prison sentence

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy is set to begin serving a five-year prison sentence on Tuesday, becoming the first former head of state in living memory to be incarcerated.

The 70-year-old is expected to enter La Santé prison in Paris after being convicted of criminal conspiracy for allegedly financing his 2007 presidential campaign with funds from Libya. Sarkozy continues to maintain his innocence.

The Paris court ruled that Sarkozy must begin serving his sentence immediately, without waiting for his appeal, citing the “seriousness of the disruption to public order caused by the offence.”

Speaking to the press, Sarkozy said he would face prison head-on. “I’m not afraid of prison. I’ll hold my head high, including in front of the doors of La Santé. I’ll fight till the end,” he said.

Authorities indicated that Sarkozy is likely to be held in solitary confinement for security reasons or in the prison’s VIP section for vulnerable inmates, a wing used to accommodate high-profile prisoners.

Inmates in this section have individual nine-square-metre cells equipped with basic facilities, including a small bed, hot plate, pay refrigerator, and pay TV. Prisoners have access to a fixed landline, though all calls are monitored.

Former La Santé inmates described the psychological shock of incarceration, emphasising the abrupt transition from freedom to prison life. “You go from having everything to a small cell — the shock is immediate,” said Pierre Botton, a former prisoner in the vulnerable section.

Sarkozy has prepared for his detention, bringing personal items such as ten family photos and three books, including two volumes of The Count of Monte Cristo and a biography of Jesus Christ. His family, including his son Louis, have called for a rally in support outside his Paris residence.

Sarkozy’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to discuss regional developments, while Vice President JD Vance was also scheduled to meet Netanyahu after leaving Washington.

Under French law, Sarkozy will be able to request release to the appeals court only after entering prison, with judges having up to two months to consider the request.

La Santé, inaugurated in 1867 and recently renovated, has housed numerous high-profile inmates over the years, including Alfred Dreyfus and the Venezuelan militant Carlos the Jackal. Sarkozy’s imprisonment marks an unprecedented moment in modern French political history.

With PTI Inputs