Former French President Sarkozy Begins Five-Year Prison Sentence for Illegal Campaign Financing

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to begin a five-year prison sentence at Paris's La Santé prison for criminal conspiracy related to illegal campaign financing from Libya in 2007. He has expressed calmness and a lack of fear about going to jail, stating he will hold his head high and will not seek special privileges during his incarceration. Due to concerns for his safety, Sarkozy will be placed in solitary confinement in a high-security section of the prison, with limited outdoor time and separate exercise facilities. Throughout his sentence, he plans to write a book focusing on themes of freedom, dignity, and truth, and his wife, Carla Bruni, is expected to visit him daily. Sarkozy has consistently denied wrongdoing, appealed his conviction, and remains the first former French head of state to serve a prison sentence for such charges. Despite the legal challenges, he maintains his innocence and composure as he faces this unprecedented situation.