Jailed Ex-President Sarkozy Faces Death Threats in Paris Prison

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy began serving a five-year prison sentence at Paris' La Sante prison for conspiring to finance his 2007 campaign with Libyan funds. Shortly after his incarceration, inmates recorded videos taunting him and threatening to avenge the death of Muammar Gaddafi, whose regime Sarkozy helped topple through NATO-led airstrikes in 2011. The videos, circulated on social media, prompted an investigation by the Paris prosecutor's office, which questioned inmates and seized mobile phones during a prison search. Due to credible threats, Sarkozy has been placed under 24-hour protection by two armed police officers stationed in cells adjacent to his solitary confinement cell, a security measure that has drawn criticism from prison guards. The Interior Minister emphasized the necessity of this protection given the risks Sarkozy faces, while Sarkozy maintains his innocence and has sought early release pending appeal. These developments underscore the tensions around his conviction and incarceration related to alleged illegal campaign financing from Libya.