Sarkozy Begins Five-Year Prison Term

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy entered La Santé prison in Paris on Tuesday to begin a five-year sentence after being convicted of criminal conspiracy over an alleged scheme to secure Libyan funding for his 2007 presidential campaign. He is the first French head of state jailed since World War II leader Philippe Pétain, and presiding judge Nathalie Gavarino ordered his immediate detention despite an ongoing appeal. While convicted of conspiring with aides over the alleged financing, he was acquitted of personally receiving or using Libyan funds, and his lawyers say they will seek conditional release pending appeal. Authorities say he is likely to be held in solitary confinement in a roughly nine-square-metre cell in La Santé’s isolation wing for security reasons, though some reports note the possibility of placement in a VIP wing. Sarkozy has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, posted on X that he is an 'innocent man,' and left for prison hand-in-hand with his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, as supporters and family gathered. A separate retrial in another case has been scheduled as appeals proceed, and it remains unclear how long he will remain jailed.