A stunning moment in French political history — former President Nicolas Sarkozy has officially begun serving his five-year prison sentence. Police officers escorted the ex-leader to La Santé Prison in Paris, where he spent his first night behind bars under heavy security.
According to France’s Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, two police officers were stationed in a cell adjacent to Sarkozy’s — a rare measure taken to ensure the former president’s safety. Nuñez explained that the decision was based on security threats facing Sarkozy and that protection would remain “as long as necessary.”
NUÑEZ (voice clip): “I’m responsible for the safety of high-ranking officials, and this decision was made to guarantee his protection while in custody.”
However, not everyone agrees with the move. Nicolas Peyrin, deputy secretary general of the prison guards’ union, criticized the intervention by the Interior Ministry, saying that prison authorities are fully capable of managing detainees’ safety on their own.
Meanwhile, Sarkozy’s legal team insists their client is not receiving any special treatment. His lawyer, Jean-Michel Darrois, told French media that the former president occupies a small nine-square-meter cell, surrounded by constant noise from other inmates. Darrois emphasized that Sarkozy did not request special privileges, despite his former position.
Another lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, declined to comment on the ongoing police protection arrangements after visiting his client Wednesday morning.
Sarkozy, who served as France’s president from 2007 to 2012, was convicted last month of criminal conspiracy for his alleged role in a scheme to finance his 2007 presidential campaign with funds from Libya, reportedly in exchange for diplomatic favors.
The former president has appealed the conviction, but for now remains in custody — reportedly housed either in solitary confinement or in the so-called VIP wing of the La Santé complex, typically reserved for inmates requiring special protection.
He is allowed three family visits per week, and on Tuesday, his wife — singer and model Carla Bruni-Sarkozy — was seen visiting him.
According to his lawyer, Sarkozy has already started writing a book and continues to exercise daily inside his cell. Darrois noted that the former president’s primary concern is for his family’s well-being, not his own.
Sarkozy’s brother, Guillaume Sarkozy, also spoke publicly, saying he was proud of his sibling’s composure.
“I am proud that he is going to prison with his head held high, and I am totally convinced of his innocence,” Guillaume Sarkozy said.
As the appeal process unfolds, Nicolas Sarkozy becomes the first former French president in modern history to serve an actual prison term — a development that has sparked both debate and disbelief across France.
We will continue to follow this story as it develops.
Reporting by Lisa Lomami.
