Overview

• Nicolas Sarkozy appeared Monday at France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s Office to be notified when and where he will be incarcerated, a decision to take effect within a statutory four‑month window that officials expect to be relatively soon.
• The five‑year sentence for association de malfaiteurs will be carried out despite his appeal, making him the first French postwar leader set to serve actual prison time.
• The Paris court justified the exécution provisoire by referencing the seriousness of the offense and its impact on public order.
• Penitentiary authorities are preparing heightened protection, with placement expected in La Santé’s unit for vulnerable inmates or in isolation to ensure security.
• Once jailed, his lawyers can immediately seek release from the appeals court, which has up to two months to decide, as a full appeals trial is organized in the coming months; the first‑instance ruling found preparatory acts with Libyan intermediaries but no proof of Libyan funds entering the 2007 campaign.