Nicolas Sarkozy Portrays Life in Prison as ‘Exhausting’ and ‘a Nightmare’
Ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy has stated that his time behind bars has been “exhausting” and a “horrific experience” as he was present via video link at a court hearing regarding his petition to complete his jail term at home.
Court Appearance from Behind Bars
Sarkozy, wearing a dark blue attire, was visible on screen from prison on Monday, seated at a table with his lawyers beside him. He informed the judges: “I want to pay tribute to all the correctional officers, who are remarkably compassionate, and who have made this nightmare bearable – because it is a nightmare.”
Context of the Legal Situation
Sarkozy was admitted to the correctional facility in Paris on 21 October, after receiving a half-decade imprisonment for illegal collaboration over a scheme to obtain funds for his election bid from the regime of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
He has appealed against the verdict, but the court ruled that because of the “serious nature” of his conviction, he had to be incarcerated while the appeals process proceeded.
Historical Significance
The former leader, who was France’s conservative leader between 2007 and 2012, is the initial ex-leader of an EU country to serve time in prison, and the first French postwar leader to be incarcerated.
Personal Statement
Sarkozy told the court from prison: “I was completely unaware or intention to ask Mr Gaddafi for any kind of financing … I will not admit to something I am innocent of … I could not have foreseen that at 70 years of age, I’d be in prison. It’s an challenge that has been imposed on me. I admit it’s hard, 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 defendants or testifiers in the case. He declared: “I’m French, I love my country, my family is in France. This situation has made them suffer a lot.”
Legal Team Observations
Sarkozy’s lawyer Jean-Michel Darrois, sitting next to him in the remote connection facility, stated: “Being in isolation has been extremely difficult for him.” He said of Sarkozy: “He’s a strong, robust and brave man and this detention has been very painful for him.”
In court, a different legal representative, Christophe Ingrain, who had seen him daily, asserted Sarkozy would be more secure out of prison than within. “He has faced death threats, has heard screaming at night and the emergency response in a adjacent room when a prisoner self-harmed,” he stated.
Current Status
The state prosecutor Damien Brunet asked that Sarkozy’s petition for freedom be granted. The court will announce its decision on Monday afternoon.
Incarceration Details
The former president has been held in solitary confinement for his own safety, in an private room of about 97 square feet, with his own washing facility and restroom. Two bodyguards are occupying a neighbouring cell to protect him.
Reports suggested that he had been consuming solely yogurt 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
Sarkozy’s social media account last week shared a video of piles of letters, postcards and packages it claimed had been delivered to his attention, including a collage, a sweet treat and a volume. “No letter will go unanswered,” his account announced. “The end of the story has not yet been determined.”
Personal Belongings
Sarkozy took into prison a life story of Christ as well as The Count of Monte Cristo, the famous work in which an innocent man is sentenced to jail but escapes to seek retribution.
Legal Proceedings Details
During Sarkozy’s three-month trial, the state attorney had told the court that Sarkozy entered into a “corrupt agreement” of corruption with one of the most unspeakable dictators of the last 30 years.
The accused denied wrongdoing and said he had not been involved in a criminal conspiracy to obtain campaign finances from Libya.
He was acquitted of three distinct accusations of corruption, improper handling of state money and unlawful political financing. After the public attorney also appealed against these not guilty verdicts, Sarkozy will be re-tried on all the accusations next year, including criminal conspiracy.
Previous Convictions
Although the allegations of a secret campaign funding pact with the Libyan regime formed the most significant legal case Sarkozy had encountered, he had already been found guilty in two different proceedings and stripped of France’s top honor, the Légion d’honneur.
Sarkozy had previously become the first former French head of state forced to wear an electronic tag after being found guilty in a separate case of dishonesty and influence peddling. In that case, he was given a 12-month sentence but was able to serve it with an ankle monitor worn around the ankle. He wore the tag for three months before being granted conditional release.
