Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has reignited controversy with the release of his latest memoir, Diary of a Prisoner, in which he details his 20-day detention in La Santé prison following his conviction in the Libyan campaign financing case, according to the Anadolu Agency.
The 216-page publication has drawn sharp criticism from families of the victims of the 1989 UTA Flight 772 bombing, who say they are “distressed” by the way he portrays them.
Sarkozy, who was released under judicial supervision on 10 November, is awaiting his appeal, scheduled between 16 March and 3 June 2026. He had been sentenced in September for allowing aides to seek illegal funding from senior Libyan officials during his 2007 presidential campaign.
The fiercest backlash centres on Sarkozy’s depiction of the families who testified during the financing trial. The attack on UTA Flight 772, reportedly orchestrated by Libyan operatives, killed 170 passengers from 18 nationalities when it exploded over Niger on 19 September 1989.
The victims’ association, Daughters of DC-10, accused Sarkozy of attempting to reverse roles by painting himself as the victim, adding that the book portrays bereaved families as “ungrateful and vengeful.” They refuted his claim that he personally insisted on receiving them at the Élysée Palace during Muammar Gaddafi’s 2007 visit, saying protests forced the meeting “at the last minute.”
Sarkozy highlights compensation previously negotiated with Tripoli – €1 million per victim – as evidence that ties existed before his presidency. The association countered that financial settlement “never absolved a blood-stained regime” nor justified dealings with Libyan intelligence figures, including Abdallah Senoussi, convicted in France over the bombing.
Throughout the memoir, Sarkozy writes of prayer, monotony and what he calls “the cross of injustice,” while maintaining his innocence. He further criticises French political figures including President Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen.
