Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has begun serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of conspiring to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The 70-year-old becomes the first former French head of state to be jailed since World War II leader Philippe Pétain, who was imprisoned for treason in 1945. Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, maintains his innocence and has appealed the ruling.
On Tuesday morning, Sarkozy reported to La Santé prison in Paris, where he will serve his sentence in the isolation wing for security reasons. Dozens of supporters gathered outside his home and the prison, cheering and chanting his name as he left hand in hand with his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
In a post on X before entering prison, Sarkozy declared: “It is not a former president they are locking up this morning — it is an innocent man. I have no doubt the truth will prevail, but the price is crushing.”
His lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, confirmed that a request for his release had been filed, describing the imprisonment as “unjustified.”
At La Santé, Sarkozy will be housed in a small cell measuring about 9–11 square meters, equipped with basic amenities including a shower, desk, small stove, and television. He will be allowed one hour of daily exercise and limited contact with family and legal representatives.
“Conditions of detention in isolation are harsh,” said former prison deputy director Flavie Rault, adding that such inmates face “total social isolation.”
Sarkozy recently met with President Emmanuel Macron, who said it was “normal, on a human level,” to receive his predecessor in such circumstances. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin also pledged to visit Sarkozy in prison, emphasizing his duty to ensure the former president’s safety and welfare.
Sarkozy’s conviction stems from a long-running investigation into allegations that his 2007 campaign was financed with millions of euros from Gaddafi’s regime. While he was cleared of personally receiving the funds, he was found guilty of criminal conspiracy alongside two close aides — Brice Hortefeux and Claude Guéant — for their involvement in the illicit financing network.
The case is part of a series of legal troubles for Sarkozy. He faces another appeal next month over a separate campaign financing case, the so-called Bygmalion affair, for which he received a six-month jail sentence.
Before his incarceration, Sarkozy said he would enter prison with his head held high, taking only two books with him — The Life of Jesus by Jean-Christian Petitfils and Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo, the tale of a man wrongfully imprisoned who ultimately triumphs over his accusers.
