Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy entered La Santé prison in Paris this Tuesday to serve the five-year prison sentence imposed by the Paris Court for illicit association in the case of alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign. With this entry, the 70-year-old Sarkozy becomes the first former French head of state to go behind bars.
The former leader arrived at the prison at ten in the morning, accompanied by his wife, singer Carla Bruni, in an official vehicle rather than on foot like the other inmates. Upon crossing the gate, he was taken to an isolation area where he will remain without contact with the 754 prisoners housed in the facility, which is above its capacity. The prison director personally received him.
Although efforts were made to maintain discretion, his arrival was followed by dozens of cameras and supporters. Sarkozy’s own son, Louis Sarkozy, contributed to the attention by calling on social media, early in the morning, for those who wanted to say goodbye and show support for his father.
Sentenced on September 25, Sarkozy has appealed the ruling, and his lawyers are already preparing a request for parole, which could be filed immediately. The court found that between 2005 and 2007, when he was still Minister of the Interior, Sarkozy sought financial support from Muammar Gaddafi’s Libyan regime to fund his campaign for the Élysée. However, it could not be proven that the money ultimately reached his hands, so he was acquitted of passive corruption and misappropriation of funds.
Nevertheless, the court ordered his immediate imprisonment, citing the “exceptional gravity of the facts.” He was allowed a brief period to take care of personal matters before reporting to the penitentiary.
In the weeks leading up to his incarceration, Sarkozy maintained a defiant stance. In a video circulated on social media, he thanked the French people for their support and proclaimed his innocence. “I am not afraid to go to prison,” he stated. Some French media, including Le Figaro, reported that he brought along a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo.
The former president’s arrival in prison has shaken French political life. Current head of state Emmanuel Macron met him at the Élysée Palace days before his imprisonment. “It was normal, on a personal and human level,” Macron said when asked in Slovenia, emphasizing his respect for judicial independence. Former Prime Minister Édouard Balladur also visited him, and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin announced that he would go to check on the security conditions—something that has caused outrage among judicial unions, who denounce preferential treatment.
Sarkozy had previously been sentenced to one year of house arrest in another case, but this marks his first actual prison term. La Santé, one of the country’s most secure prisons, was recently renovated and has individual cells with better conditions than average. The former president will remain isolated, escorted by officers at all times, with access to the prison library and gym.
Despite his incarceration, all indications are that he will not spend much time behind bars. His lawyers are already working on a parole request that could be resolved within weeks. Meanwhile, Sarkozy continues to present himself as a victim of judicial persecution and what he has described as a “blow to the rule of law.”
