Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy Begins Prison Sentence Over Libya Election Scandal

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has officially begun serving his five-year prison sentence at La Santé Prison in Paris after being convicted of criminal conspiracy for illegally financing his 2007 presidential campaign with funds from late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The 70-year-old former leader, who has consistently denied the allegations, described his imprisonment as a “legal scandal” and declared himself an “innocent man” as he entered the facility on Tuesday.

Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, arrived at the prison hand-in-hand with his wife, former supermodel and singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. They were joined by their children and grandchildren, as a crowd of supporters gathered outside their Paris home chanting “Nicolas, Nicolas” and singing the French national anthem. Many waved flags with messages of solidarity, including “Courage Nicolas, return soon.”

Before entering prison, Sarkozy posted a defiant message on social media, writing, “It is not a former President of the Republic who is being locked up this morning — it is an innocent person.” He accused French authorities of pursuing a vendetta against him, calling the case “a path of the cross” that he has endured for more than a decade.

Sarkozy was sentenced last month and fined €100,000 (about $117,000). Despite appealing the verdict, the court ruled that he must begin serving his sentence immediately. He is being held in isolation for security reasons, separated from inmates convicted of drug or terrorism-related offenses. Reports indicate his 95-square-foot cell includes a bed, toilet, desk, shower, and television, and he will be allowed one hour of daily exercise alone.

His family has voiced outrage over his imprisonment. His sons, Louis and Jean, both took to social media to defend their father, describing his incarceration as “incomprehensible and unjust.” Louis wrote, “Our father is an innocent man. A man who represents a threat to no one. A man plunged into an unjust captivity.”

The case stems from long-standing allegations that Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign received millions in illegal funding from Gaddafi’s regime — claims that have dogged the former president for over a decade and which he continues to vehemently deny. In his social media statement, Sarkozy expressed “deep sorrow for France,” saying his country was being “humiliated by the expression of vengeance that has taken hatred to an unprecedented level.”

He ended his statement with a pledge to continue fighting: “I have no doubt. The truth will triumph. But the price to pay will have been crushing.”