Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has begun serving a five-year jail sentence after being convicted of illegally funding his 2007 election campaign with money from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. His imprisonment makes him the first ex-French head of state to be jailed since Philippe Pétain in 1945.
At around 9:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Sarkozy, 70, entered La Santé prison in Paris’s Montparnasse district. He was accompanied by his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and cheered by over a hundred supporters shouting his name as he left their villa in the 16th arrondissement.
Sarkozy has appealed against his sentence and insists he is innocent. In a post on X, he wrote, “It is not a former president they are locking up this morning — it is an innocent man.” He added that while he felt sorrow for “a France humiliated by a will for revenge,” he remained confident that “truth will prevail.”
His lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, confirmed that a request for Sarkozy’s release had been filed, noting he could remain behind bars for up to a month pending review. Despite his status, Sarkozy has reportedly requested no special privileges in prison.
Located in the isolation wing of La Santé, his cell measures roughly 10 square meters and includes a small TV, a shower, a desk, and basic facilities. He will spend most of his time alone, with only one hour of daily exercise permitted in a secluded courtyard.
Prison officials describe conditions in isolation as “harsh,” with inmates facing near-total solitude. Still, Sarkozy is allowed visits, phone contact, and correspondence with his family.
President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged meeting Sarkozy last week, calling it “normal on a human level” to receive one of his predecessors. However, Macron stressed he would not comment on judicial decisions. France’s Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin also announced plans to visit Sarkozy in prison, citing concern for his safety.
Sarkozy’s conviction stems from allegations that his 2007 presidential campaign accepted millions in illicit Libyan funds, a charge he has consistently denied. While cleared of personally receiving money, he was found guilty of conspiring with two aides, Brice Hortefeux and Claude Guéant, to secure illegal financing through Libyan intermediaries.
The ex-president is also appealing a six-month sentence in a separate campaign finance case known as the Bygmalion affair, with a verdict expected next month.
Before his imprisonment, Sarkozy said he was unafraid, telling La Tribune, “I’ll keep my head held high, including at the prison gates.” He reportedly took two books with him — The Life of Jesus by Jean-Christian Petitfils and The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, the story of a man wrongly imprisoned who seeks justice.
The incarceration of Nicolas Sarkozy marks a defining moment in French political history, raising questions about accountability, justice, and the legacy of one of France’s most polarizing leaders.
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