Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has begun serving a five-year prison sentence for conspiring to fund his 2007 election campaign with money from late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, making him the first French ex-president to go behind bars. 

The last time a French leader faced imprisonment was in 1945, when World War Two collaborationist Philippe Pétain was jailed for treason.

Sarkozy, 70, was cheered by more than 100 supporters as he left his Paris villa in the exclusive 16th arrondissement, holding hands with his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. His sons Louis and Pierre appealed for support and messages of love rather than outrage.

The former president arrived at La Santé prison in Montparnasse at 09:40 local time, escorted by dozens of police officers. 

He was placed in the prison’s isolation wing for safety, where he occupies a 9-11 sq m cell with a toilet, shower, desk, small electric hob, TV, and fridge. Inmates in the isolation wing are allowed just one hour of exercise per day, alone in a segregated courtyard.

Sarkozy maintains his innocence, posting on X that “truth will prevail” and describing his imprisonment as “a deep sorrow for a France humiliated by a will for revenge.”

His lawyer Christophe Ingrain has filed for his release, claiming that nothing justifies his detention.

Sarkozy was convicted of criminal association with two close aides, Brice Hortefeux and Claude Guéant, for arranging secret campaign financing from Libya. While cleared of personally receiving funds, he faces the “exceptional seriousness” of the charges.

Ahead of his imprisonment, Sarkozy gave interviews, declaring he would “keep his head held high” and take inspiration from books including The Count of Monte Cristo, a tale of wrongful imprisonment. 

Meanwhile, France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin have offered gestures of official support, ensuring the former leader’s safety and access during his time in La Santé.

Sarkozy’s legal battles continue, with appeals pending for this case and the separate Bygmalion affair, in which he faces another jail term for illegal campaign financing.

#BBC