🔗 Share this article Nicolas Sarkozy Describes Life in Prison as ‘Gruelling’ and ‘a Nightmare’ Ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy has asserted that his stay in prison has been “draining” and a “nightmare” as he was present via video link at a court hearing regarding his application to complete his jail term at home. Court Appearance from Behind Bars The former leader, dressed in a navy blue suit, appeared on camera from jail on Monday, positioned at a desk with his legal representatives beside him. He informed the judges: “I want to acknowledge all the correctional officers, who are remarkably compassionate, and who have eased this difficult situation – because it is a horrific experience.” Context of the Case The former president was admitted to La Santé prison in Paris on 21 October, after being handed a five-year jail sentence for criminal conspiracy over a scheme to secure financing for his election bid from the government of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. He has challenged the ruling, but the court ruled that because of the “exceptional gravity” of his guilty verdict, he had to go to prison while the legal challenge proceeded. Unprecedented Importance The former leader, who was France’s conservative leader between 2007 and 2012, is the first former head of an EU country to be imprisoned in prison, and the initial leader since WWII to be incarcerated. Personal Statement The former president told the court from prison: “I was completely unaware or intention to ask Mr Gaddafi for any kind of financing … I will never confess to something I didn’t do … I could not have foreseen that at this stage of life, I’d be in prison. It’s an challenge that has been forced upon me. I confess it’s difficult, it’s very hard. It leaves a mark on any prisoner because it’s gruelling.” He stated he would not try to communicate with any accused individuals or witnesses in the case. He said: “I’m French, I am patriotic, my family is in France. This ordeal has made them suffer a lot.” Legal Team Observations Sarkozy’s lawyer Jean-Michel Darrois, sitting next to him in the prison video link room, said: “Being in isolation has been extremely difficult for him.” He said of Sarkozy: “He’s a resilient, durable and courageous man and this imprisonment has been very painful for him.” In court, a different legal representative, Christophe Ingrain, who had seen him daily, said Sarkozy would be safer outside jail than inside. “He has received threats against his life, has heard screaming at night and the emergency response in a neighbouring cell when a prisoner self-harmed,” he said. Present Situation The state prosecutor Damien Brunet asked that Sarkozy’s request for release be approved. The court will reveal its ruling on Monday afternoon. Incarceration Details Sarkozy has been held in solitary confinement for his own security, in an individual cell of about 97 square feet, with his own shower and restroom. Two bodyguards are occupying a neighbouring cell to protect him. Accounts suggested that he had been eating only yoghurt in prison as he was concerned any meal might have been contaminated. He had been given the opportunity to prepare his own meals but declined the offer. Support from Outside His online presence last week posted a video of numerous correspondences, postcards and packages it claimed had been delivered to his attention, including a collage, a chocolate bar and a volume. “No correspondence will go unanswered,” his account announced. “The end of the story has not yet been determined.” Items in Prison Sarkozy brought with him a life story of Christ as well as The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas’s novel in which an innocent man is sentenced to jail but breaks out to take revenge. Legal Proceedings Particulars During Sarkozy’s three-month trial, the state attorney had told the court that Sarkozy entered into a “Faustian pact of dishonesty with one of the worst rulers of the last three decades. Sarkozy denied wrongdoing and stated he had not been involved in a illegal scheme to obtain campaign finances from Libya. He was found not guilty of three separate charges of dishonesty, improper handling of state money and unlawful political financing. After the public attorney also appealed against these acquittals, Sarkozy will be re-tried on all the charges next year, including illegal collaboration. Prior Legal Issues Although the allegations of a secret campaign funding pact with the North African government formed the most significant legal case Sarkozy had faced, he had already been convicted in two different proceedings and lost France’s top honor, the Légion d’honneur. The former president had previously become the first former French head of state forced to wear an electronic tag after being convicted in a different matter of dishonesty and improper sway. In that case, he was given a 12-month sentence but was able to complete it with an electronic tag attached to his leg. He had the device for a quarter year before being allowed limited freedom.