Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy began serving a five-year prison sentence on Tuesday at La Santé prison in Paris.
This makes him the first former French head of state to be imprisoned since the end of World War II.
Sarkozy was convicted of “complicity in illegal campaign financing” linked to the Libyan financing of his successful 2007 presidential campaign. The court ruled that the severity of the offense warranted the immediate execution of the sentence, even though the former president has maintained his innocence and lodged an appeal.
The former president may be held in a specialized section reserved for vulnerable prisoners, segregated from the general population for security reasons. These cells are basic, measuring approximately nine square meters.
The case has ignited widespread debate in France regarding the presumption of innocence and the separation of powers, with critics questioning the immediate enforcement of the sentence prior to the appeal hearing. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has announced an inspection of the former president’s detention conditions. Notably, prior to his imprisonment, Sarkozy was received at the Elysée Palace by President Emmanuel Macron in a gesture described as a human courtesy.
AC/Sf/fss/abj/APA