Sarkozy Begins Five-Year Sentence at Paris’ La Santé Prison

Overview

• He entered custody on Tuesday at La Santé in Paris and was placed in an isolation unit with solo exercise periods, a private shower, and access to a TV and landline.
• Attorney Jean-Michel Darrois said a petition for conditional release was submitted upon entry, a step available given Sarkozy is 70.
• Sarkozy proclaimed his innocence in a statement on X during his transfer and has said he intends to keep his head high and write a book while incarcerated.
• President Emmanuel Macron met Sarkozy at the Élysée last week, and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said he plans to visit the former president in prison.
• The case centers on a criminal conspiracy ruling tied to efforts by close aides to seek Libyan funds for 2007, with the sentence ordered to take effect before appeal, a practice supported by a majority in an Elabe poll.