Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at Paris' La Santé Prison on Tuesday (October 21) to begin serving a five-year sentence for conspiracy to collect campaign funds from Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi. He is the first former French president to be imprisoned since the founding of the Fifth Republic.
｜Extended reading｜Former French President Sarkozy implicated in Libya-gate scandal, reportedly jailed since October 21
Sarkozy, 70, left his home on Tuesday morning, hand in hand with his wife Carla Bruni, as supporters sang the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise," and chanted "Nicolas! Nicolas!" Sarkozy has so far maintained his innocence.
Before departing, Sarkozy posted on social media platform X, "The person imprisoned today is not a former president, but an innocent man. I am the victim of revenge and hatred." According to the court ruling, Sarkozy was found guilty of conspiring with several close associates to collect large sums of money from Gaddafi for the 2007 presidential election. Although he was found guilty of participating in the conspiracy, he did not personally receive or use the funds.
— Nicolas Sarkozy (@NicolasSarkozy) October 21, 2025
According to the French Ministry of Justice, Sarkozy will be housed in a segregated section of Saintes Prison. His cell will be approximately 9 to 12 square meters and equipped with a private shower. He will be required to rent a television for €14 (approximately $16.26) and will also have access to a landline phone. His legal team has filed for early parole, hoping to be released pending his appeal, with the hope of being released as early as Christmas Day.
According to French newspaper Le Figaro, Sarkozy had three books with him when he was imprisoned, one of which was "The Count of Monte Cristo," a classic novel by French author Alexandre Dumas. The work, which tells the story of an innocent man who is imprisoned and embarks on revenge and redemption, was seen as an intriguing symbolic choice by the outside world.
French President Emmanuel Macron met with Sarkozy before his imprisonment, and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said he would visit him, sparking criticism from left-wing parties that the government was interfering with judicial independence. Sarkozy's imprisonment has sparked a strong political uproar in France, with his supporters repeatedly accusing the judiciary of seizing political power and calling the verdict a "humiliation for France."
Sarkozy, the son of an immigrant family whose father is of Hungarian descent, entered the Elysee Palace in 2007 on a platform of "Reforming France and Revitalizing the Economy." He pushed for policies such as raising the retirement age and relaxing working hours, but the financial crisis failed to restore economic confidence.
