Nicolas Sarkozy Begins Five-Year Prison Sentence for Campaign Finance Fraud

Nicolas Sarkozy has become the first French ex-president to go to jail, as he starts a five-year sentence for conspiring to fund his election campaign with money from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Not since World War Two Nazi collaborationist leader Philippe Pétain was jailed for treason in 1945 has any French ex-leader gone behind bars. Sarkozy, who was president from 2007-2012, has appealed against his jail term at La Santé prison, where he will occupy a small cell in the isolation wing. More than 100 people applauded and shouted 'Nicolas!' as he left his villa in the exclusive 16th district of Paris, holding his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy by the hand. His son Louis, 28, had appealed to supporters for a show of support, while his other son, Pierre, called for a message of love – 'nothing else, please'. Nicolas Sarkozy, 70, was driven through the entrance of the notoriously overcrowded 19th-Century prison in the Montparnasse district, with police cordoning off the streets. He continues to protest his innocence in the highly controversial Libyan money affair and shared a message on X, stating he believes 'truth will prevail'. Moments after Sarkozy entered jail, his lawyer announced that a request for his release had been submitted, asserting that nothing justified his imprisonment. He will remain in isolation for safety reasons, amid fears from his legal team. Sarkozy's prison conditions include a small cell, shared only with prison staff, and one hour of daily exercise. He stated that he would take two books with him, including 'The Count of Monte Cristo', symbolizing his plight, as he readies himself for a new chapter behind bars.