Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will begin serving his prison sentence at a Paris facility starting October 21, sources informed AFP on Monday. This follows a court’s decision last month to sentence him to five years for criminal conspiracy.
Sarkozy, aged 70, will become the first postwar French leader and the first former head of an EU country to be incarcerated, serving his time at La Sante prison in Paris, the sources noted.
Convicted in late September, Sarkozy was found guilty of involving late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi in funding his 2007 presidential campaign.
Enhanced security protocols are anticipated to ensure Sarkozy’s safety, with the possibility of him being placed in a unit for vulnerable inmates or in solitary confinement.
On Monday, Sarkozy visited the financial prosecutor’s office in Paris for details on his impending imprisonment.
He arrived in a vehicle with tinted windows and left after 45 minutes, not providing any comments, as observed by AFP journalists.
An AFP photographer later saw him returning home.
Sarkozy has denied the allegations and has appealed his conviction.
He immediately contested the verdict in September, with a new trial expected in the upcoming months.
The Paris appeals court has up to 18 months to organize the proceedings.
If jailed, Sarkozy’s lawyers may request his release from the appeals court, but he will remain in custody unless decided otherwise.
-‘Exceptional Gravity’-
During the trial, prosecutors claimed Sarkozy and his team, under his direction, struck an illegal funding deal with Gaddafi in 2005 for Sarkozy’s 2007 election victory.
Investigators suggest Gaddafi was promised support to rehabilitate his international image after being blamed for the 1988 Lockerbie and 1989 Niger plane bombings.
Presiding judge Nathalie Gavarino described the offenses as “exceptionally grave,” mandating Sarkozy’s incarceration.
The court found Sarkozy guilty of criminal conspiracy but did not conclude he benefited from the illicit campaign financing.
He was cleared of embezzling Libyan funds, passive corruption, and illegal campaign financing charges.
– Legal Troubles –
Sarkozy has faced numerous legal challenges since his presidency ended.
Last year, the top court upheld his conviction and one-year sentence for corruption, involving an attempt in 2014 to gain favors from a judge.
Earlier this year, he served three months under electronic surveillance before receiving conditional release.
Additionally, he was sentenced to one year—six months in jail and six months suspended—for illegal financing of his 2012 campaign.
He has filed a final appeal with the top court, expecting a ruling next month.
Beyond the legal sphere, Sarkozy lost his Legion of Honour—France’s highest accolade—due to the corruption conviction.
Despite legal issues, Sarkozy, who once branded himself as the “hyper-president,” continues to hold significant influence and popularity on the French political right, often meeting with President Emmanuel Macron.
