7 months ago
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Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived astatine a situation successful Paris connected Tuesday (October 21 ,2025) to statesman serving a 5-year condemnation for a transgression conspiracy to concern his 2007 predetermination run with funds from Libya.
He is the archetypal ex-leader of modern France to beryllium imprisoned.
Sarkozy, hand-in-hand with his woman Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, near location earlier getting into a car and travelling to the La Sante prison.
On his mode to prison, Sarkozy said successful a connection released connected societal media that “an guiltless man” was being locked up.
He was convicted past period for transgression conspiracy successful a strategy to concern his 2007 predetermination run with funds from Libya.
Sarkozy contests some the condemnation and a judge's antithetic determination to incarcerate him pending appeal. His travel from the statesmanlike Elysee Palace to the notorious La Sante situation successful Paris has captivated France.
Minutes earlier entering prison, Sarkozy and his woman walked dilatory to articulation his children and grandchildren extracurricular his home. He waved astatine a assemblage of supporters gathered successful the high-end Paris neighbourhood wherever helium lives, past got into his car.
Hundreds of supporters applauded and chanted “Nicolas, Nicolas” and sang the French anthem. Two French flags were hung connected a adjacent fence, with the inscriptions: “Courage Nicolas, instrumentality soon” and "true France with Nicolas."
Sarkozy's sons and girl — Jean, Pierre, Louis and Giulia — and his grandchildren showed up astatine the gathering.
Parisian nonmigratory Michelle Perie, 67, said she came successful enactment “because determination is anger, injustice." “He's not similar immoderate different defendants, he's idiosyncratic who holds authorities secrets, he's idiosyncratic who has ever done his occupation with his caput held high. We don't understand,” she said.
Embattled centrist President Emmanuel Macron hosted the blimpish Sarkozy astatine the statesmanlike palace past week. “I person ever been precise wide successful my nationalist statements astir the independency of the judiciary successful my role, but it was mean connected a quality level to person 1 of my predecessors successful this context,” Mr. Macron said Monday.
Solitary confinement
Sarkozy's lawyers said the erstwhile president volition beryllium held successful solitary confinement, wherever helium volition beryllium kept distant from each different prisoners for information reasons.
Sarkozy's lawyer Christophe Ingrain said connected BFM TV that incarceration “strengthens his determination, it strengthens his rage to beryllium that helium is innocent.” Ingrain said Sarkozy is readying to constitute a publication astir his situation experience.
Jean-Michel Darrois, different of Sarkozy's lawyers, said connected Tuesday that the erstwhile president got himself “mentally prepared” to beryllium held successful solitary confinement, wherever helium would beryllium kept distant from each different prisoners for information reasons.
“First, helium packed a container with a fewer sweaters due to the fact that it's acold successful prison, and earplugs due to the fact that it's precise noisy,” Darrois said connected France Info quality broadcaster. “Isolation similar what he's going to spell through, is painful, but helium got himself prepared.”
“I'm not acrophobic of prison. I'll clasp my caput high, including successful beforehand of the doors of La Sante,” Sarkozy told La Tribune Dimanche newspaper. “I'll combat till the end.”
The insubstantial said Sarkozy has his situation container acceptable with apparel and the 10 household photos helium is allowed to bring.
Sarkozy besides told Le Figaro paper that helium would bring 3 books — the maximum allowed — including Alexandre Dumas' “The Count of Monte Cristo,'' successful which the leader escapes from an land situation earlier seeking revenge.
The Paris justice ruled that Sarkozy would commencement to service situation clip without waiting for his entreaty to beryllium heard, owed to “the seriousness of the disruption to nationalist bid caused by the offense.” Under the ruling, the 70-year-old Sarkozy volition lone beryllium capable to record a petition for merchandise to the appeals tribunal erstwhile helium is down bars, and judges volition past person up to 2 months to process it.
Sarkozy's lawyers said a petition for merchandise volition beryllium filed precise quickly.
