Former French President to Reveal Prison Ordeal in New Book
Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president, is set to publish a revealing account of his time behind bars in a new book titled A Prisoner's Diary. The announcement comes just 11 days after his release from prison, where he spent 20 days in solitary confinement while appealing his conviction for criminal conspiracy.
Life Inside La Santé Prison
In extracts from his forthcoming book, Sarkozy describes the relentless noise and psychological toll of incarceration. "In prison there is nothing to see, and nothing to do," he writes, suggesting his account will focus more on personal reflections than broader observations of France's troubled prison system.
The former leader, who served as France's rightwing president between 2007 and 2012, was held in a nine square metre cell at Paris's La Santé prison for his own security. His cell contained basic amenities including a private shower and toilet, while two bodyguards occupied a neighbouring cell.
During his release hearing, Sarkozy appeared via video link and described his imprisonment as a "gruelling nightmare". He told the court: "I never imagined that at 70 years of age, I'd be in prison. It's an ordeal that has been imposed on me."
Security Concerns and Prison Conditions
Sarkozy's lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, who visited daily during his client's incarceration, argued that the former president would be safer outside prison than inside. He revealed Sarkozy had faced death threats and witnessed disturbing incidents, including emergency interventions when another prisoner self-harmed.
According to reports from French news weekly Le Point, Sarkozy reportedly ate only yoghurts during his detention over fears that other food might have been contaminated. Despite having facilities to prepare his own meals, he reportedly refused this option.
The former president becomes the first former head of an EU country and first postwar French leader to serve prison time. His imprisonment began on 21 October after a Paris court handed him a five-year sentence for his involvement in a scheme to obtain campaign funds from the regime of late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi during his 2007 presidential race.
Sarkozy maintains his innocence and has appealed against the verdict, with a fresh trial scheduled for next spring. Before entering prison, he had announced his intention to write about his experience, though it remains uncertain whether he managed to read the three books he took with him, which included Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo.
