🔗 Share this article The former French president Characterizes Life in Jail as ‘Gruelling’ and ‘a Nightmare’ Ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy has asserted that his time behind bars has been “gruelling” and a “horrific experience” as he was present via remote connection at a judicial proceeding regarding his petition to serve his sentence at home. Legal Proceeding from Behind Bars The former leader, dressed in a navy blue suit, was visible on screen from prison on Monday, seated at a table with his lawyers beside him. He informed the judges: “I want to commend all the prison staff, who are exceptionally humane, and who have eased this difficult situation – because it is a horrific experience.” Background of the Case The former president entered La Santé prison in Paris on 21 October, after receiving a half-decade imprisonment for illegal collaboration over a scheme to secure financing for his election bid from the government of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. He has challenged the ruling, but the court ruled that because of the “exceptional gravity” of his guilty verdict, he had to go to prison while the appeals process proceeded. Historical Significance The former leader, who was France’s conservative leader between 2007 and 2012, is the first former head of an EU country to serve time in prison, and the first French postwar leader to be incarcerated. Personal Statement The former president told the court from prison: “I was completely unaware or desire to ask Mr Gaddafi for any kind of financing … I will never confess to something I am innocent of … I could not have foreseen that at 70 years of age, I’d be in prison. It’s an ordeal that has been imposed on me. I confess it’s hard, it’s very hard. It has an impact on any prisoner because it’s gruelling.” He said he would not attempt to enter into contact with any accused individuals or testifiers in the case. He declared: “I’m French, I am patriotic, my family is in France. This ordeal has caused them pain a lot.” Legal Team Observations Sarkozy’s lawyer Jean-Michel Darrois, positioned beside him in the prison video link room, said: “Being in solitary confinement has been very hard for him.” He said of Sarkozy: “He’s a strong, durable and brave man and this detention has caused him great suffering.” In court, a different legal representative, Christophe Ingrain, who had visited him every day, said Sarkozy would be more secure out of prison than inside. “He has received threats against his life, has listened to shouts at night and the emergency response in a adjacent room when a prisoner injured themselves,” he said. Current Status The state prosecutor Damien Brunet asked that Sarkozy’s request for release be granted. The court will reveal its ruling on Monday afternoon. Incarceration Details The former president has been held in solitary confinement for his own safety, in an private room of about 9 sq metres, with his own shower and restroom. Security personnel are stationed nearby to protect him. Accounts indicated that he had been consuming solely yogurt in prison as he feared any meal might have been contaminated. He had been given the opportunity to cook for himself but refused this. Support from the Public Sarkozy’s social media account last week shared a video of numerous correspondences, cards and parcels it said had been sent to him, including a collage, a chocolate bar and a volume. “No letter will go without a response,” his account announced. “The final chapter has not yet been determined.” Items in Prison Sarkozy took into prison a biography of Jesus as well as the classic novel, the famous work in which an wrongly accused individual is imprisoned but breaks out to seek retribution. Legal Proceedings Details During Sarkozy’s three-month trial, the state attorney had informed the judges that Sarkozy engaged in a “corrupt agreement” of dishonesty with one of the most unspeakable dictators of the last three decades. Sarkozy denied wrongdoing and said he had not been involved in a criminal conspiracy to seek election funding from Libya. He was acquitted of three separate charges of dishonesty, improper handling of state money and unlawful political financing. After the state prosecutor also appealed against these acquittals, Sarkozy will be judged again on all the accusations next year, including illegal collaboration. Prior Legal Issues Although the allegations of a clandestine financial agreement with the Libyan regime formed the most significant legal case Sarkozy had encountered, he had already been found guilty in two different proceedings and stripped of France’s top honor, the Légion d’honneur. The former president had previously become the first former French head of state forced to wear an electronic tag after being convicted in a separate case of corruption and improper sway. In that case, he was given a 12-month sentence but was able to complete it with an electronic tag worn around the ankle. He had the device for a quarter year before being allowed limited freedom.