In a historic turn of events, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy reported to La Santé Prison in Paris on Tuesday to begin serving a five-year sentence for illegally financing his 2007 presidential campaign with funds allegedly sourced from Libya.
The 70-year-old, who led France from 2007 to 2012, becomes the first modern French head of state to be imprisoned. Sarkozy departed his Paris residence hand-in-hand with his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, as supporters gathered outside chanting his name and singing the French national anthem.
In a statement shared on social media before entering prison, Sarkozy maintained his innocence, writing that “an innocent man is being locked up.” He has appealed both his conviction and the judge’s decision to incarcerate him while the appeal is pending a move the court justified due to “the seriousness of the disruption to public order” linked to the case.
Sarkozy’s lawyers confirmed that he will be held in solitary confinement, separated from other inmates for security reasons. His legal team has also requested parole, emphasizing their determination to secure his release as soon as possible.
“This incarceration strengthens his determination it strengthens his rage to prove that he is innocent,” said his lawyer Christophe Ingrain on BFM TV.
Speaking to La Tribune Dimanche before his imprisonment, Sarkozy expressed defiance: “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.”
The case, involving allegations of illegal campaign financing from the regime of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has rocked France’s political landscape and sparked widespread debate about accountability at the highest levels of government.
