Former French President Sarkozy begins five-year prison sentence over Libya campaign funding
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday began serving a five-year prison sentence, marking the first time in modern French history that a former leader has spent time behind bars.
According to CNN, Sarkozy was driven from his Paris home to the La Santé Prison in the south of the city on Tuesday morning, waving to supporters as he departed. His convoy, flanked by dozens of police motorbikes and vehicles, escorted him to the facility.
The 69-year-old was convicted last month of criminal conspiracy for his role in a scheme to finance his 2007 presidential campaign with funds allegedly provided by Libya in exchange for diplomatic favours.
Although Sarkozy intends to appeal, he is expected to be held either in solitary confinement or in the prison’s “VIP wing,” which houses inmates considered unsuitable for the general population due to safety concerns.
That section typically accommodates politicians, former police officers, and individuals linked to extremist or far-right groups.
In a statement posted on X shortly after leaving his home, Sarkozy insisted he is an “innocent man.”
“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.”
Sarkozy also vowed to continue denouncing what he described as a “judicial scandal,” but said he is “not to be pitied,” adding that his family and friends remain by his side.
He expressed “deep sorrow for France,” saying the country had been “humiliated by the expression of a vengeance that has taken hatred to an unprecedented level.”
