Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has begun serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of conspiring to finance his 2007 election campaign with money from late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He is the first ex-French head of state to go to jail since Philippe Pétain in 1945.
Sarkozy, who governed France from 2007 to 2012, was taken to La Santé prison in Paris, where he will stay in an isolation cell for security reasons. Dozens of supporters gathered outside his home, applauding as he left with his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
The 70-year-old continues to deny wrongdoing in what has become known as the Libyan money affair. He maintains his innocence, posting on X that “truth will prevail” and expressing sorrow for “a France humiliated by a will for revenge.” His lawyer has filed an appeal for release, arguing that nothing justifies his imprisonment.
Sarkozy’s conviction stems from claims that his 2007 presidential campaign was secretly funded by millions of euros from Libya’s Gaddafi regime. Although he was cleared of personally receiving the funds, he was found guilty of criminal association alongside two former aides who met with Gaddafi’s intelligence chief in 2005.
French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged meeting Sarkozy before his imprisonment but declined to comment on judicial decisions. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin also pledged to visit the ex-president to ensure his safety.
Sarkozy, once a dominant figure in French politics, now faces a long road of legal battles. His next court ruling, related to the separate Bygmalion affair, is expected soon.
Inside prison, he will live in solitude — with limited exercise and only basic amenities — yet he insists he will “keep his head held high.”
