The Former French President Set to Write Jail Diary Documenting Three Weeks Behind Bars
Nicolas Sarkozy plans a personal account in the coming weeks called Diary of a Prisoner, chronicling his experience served in custody.
The revelation came shortly after Sarkozy was released while he contests his conviction for criminal conspiracy in a case to secure presidential race money from the regime of former Libyan leader.
Life Behind Bars: Solitary Musings
“In prison one sees little, and activities are scarce,” he notes in one passage, suggesting the account is more about his reflections during solitary confinement instead of wider commentary of the overcrowded and troubled French prison system.
“Quiet is absent, which doesn’t exist in La Santé, where there is a lot to hear,” he continues. “The noise persists relentlessly. Yet, similar to barren lands, inner life is fortified while incarcerated.”
Court Appearance: Sharing the Struggle
During his plea for freedom, the former leader participated remotely from a room in prison, depicting prison life as exhausting. He had told the court: “I must acknowledge those working in the jail, displaying remarkable compassion, easing this ordeal manageable – because it is a nightmare.”
“I never imagined that at 70 years of age, I’d find myself behind bars. It’s a trial I must endure. It’s challenging, I acknowledge, it’s very hard. It has an impact all who experience it due to its intensity.”
Historical Context
The former president, who served as France’s president between 2007 and 2012, became the inaugural ex-leader in the European Union and the first leader since WWII in the French Republic to be incarcerated.
Prior to imprisonment he had said he intended to spend the period for authoring a memoir.
Reading Material
It is not certain if he found the opportunity to read and critique the three books he had in his cell: a biography of Jesus in two parts and Alexandre Dumas’s novel the famous story, a plot where an innocent man is sentenced to jail then breaks out to seek vengeance.
Daily Reality
He remained in solitary confinement due to safety concerns in a cell of about nine sq metres including private facilities at the correctional facility in the city. Security personnel were stationed in a neighbouring cell.
It was stated that he consumed only yoghurts while inside worried that any food may have been contaminated. Options were available to prepare his own meals but refused this, according to reports. Not known is if he will detail what he ate in prison.
Legal Perspective
The legal representative, who saw him regularly daily while he was in prison, stated during proceedings he would be safer outside jail compared to inside. “He received threats against his life, has heard screaming after dark and the urgent intervention in a neighbouring cell during an inmate’s self-injury.”
Legal Proceedings
Sarkozy went to prison in late October after a French court sentenced him to a half-decade term for criminal conspiracy in connection with efforts to secure political donations during his election campaign.
He maintains his innocence challenging the decision, with a new trial planned for next spring.
