Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has started his five-year prison sentence, accompanied by police officers for security. This arrangement was confirmed by France’s Interior Minister Laurent Núñez, who stated that two police officers would stay in a neighboring cell to ensure Sarkozy’s safety. The decision comes in light of Sarkozy’s high-profile status and the perceived threats he may face while incarcerated.
In an interview with radio station Europe 1 on Wednesday, Núñez explained that the additional security measures would remain in place “as long as it is deemed necessary.” He emphasized his responsibility for the safety of high-ranking officials, stating, “It was a decision aimed at ensuring his security in addition, obviously, to everything implemented by the prison administration.”
Critics of the arrangement, including Nicolas Peyrin, deputy secretary general of the prison guards’ union, expressed skepticism regarding the need for enhanced security. Peyrin told CNN affiliate BFMTV, “I don’t see why the interior ministry would intervene in detention matters. We already know how to do it very well.”
Sarkozy’s lawyer, Jean-Michel Darrois, also addressed the situation, asserting that his client is not receiving special treatment. “He is in a nine-meter-squared (nearly 97-square-foot) cell, there is noise all the time. All the prisoners make noise, they shout, they bang on the walls,” Darrois remarked. He noted that, despite Sarkozy’s former presidential status, he did not seek a different treatment within the prison system.
After visiting the prison on Wednesday morning, another of Sarkozy’s lawyers, Christophe Ingrain, refrained from commenting on the police protections in place for his client. Sarkozy was sentenced in September 2023 for criminal conspiracy, related to a scheme that financed his 2007 presidential campaign with funds from Libya in exchange for diplomatic favors. While he has appealed the conviction, he is currently expected to occupy a cell in either solitary confinement or the “VIP wing” of La Santé prison, a section designated for prisoners considered unsuitable for the general population due to safety concerns.
In terms of visitation, Sarkozy is permitted three visits per week. His wife, singer and model Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, was one of the first to visit, meeting him on Tuesday. Darrois revealed that on his first day in prison, Sarkozy dedicated time to exercising and began writing a book.
While Sarkozy adjusts to prison life, his family remains supportive. His brother, Guillaume Sarkozy, conveyed pride in his sibling’s resilience, stating, “I am proud that we share the same name. I am proud that he is going to prison with his head held high, and I am totally convinced of his innocence.”
As Sarkozy navigates this new chapter, concerns for his family seem to weigh heavily on his mind, according to his lawyer. “If he’s worried about anything, it’s his family,” Darrois concluded, highlighting the personal toll of the former president’s legal troubles.
