The Former French President Set to Write Jail Diary Documenting His 20 Days Behind Bars
Nicolas Sarkozy plans a memoir in the coming weeks titled Diary of a Prisoner, which recounts the period endured in jail.
The revelation came just 11 days after Sarkozy gained freedom while he contests the court ruling related to unlawful coordination in a case to secure election campaign funds linked to the government of former Libyan leader.
Time in Custody: Inner Thoughts
“Inside jail one sees little, and nothing to do,” he notes in one passage, suggesting the account will focus on his musings while in solitary confinement instead of a broader observation regarding the packed and troubled jail system in France.
“Quiet is absent, which is missing at the prison, where there is a lot to hear,” he continues. “The racket persists relentlessly. But, just like the desert, personal reflection is strengthened in prison.”
Release Hearing: Sharing the Struggle
During his plea for freedom, he had appeared remotely from his cell, depicting prison life as exhausting. He expressed in court: “I must acknowledge to all the prison staff, showing great humanity, easing this nightmare tolerable – since it’s deeply troubling.”
“I didn’t expect that at 70 years of age, I’d be in prison. It’s a trial that has been imposed on me. It’s challenging, I acknowledge, deeply straining. It leaves a mark on any prisoner as it’s exhausting.”
Historical Context
Sarkozy, the ex-head of state from 2007 to 2012, was the first past president of an EU country and the initial post-WWII figure in the French Republic to be incarcerated.
Before entering jail he mentioned he would use his time to write a book.
Books in Prison
It remains unclear did he manage to go through the volumes he took into prison: a two-volume biography of Jesus plus the novel by Dumas the classic tale, a plot where a blameless person ends up incarcerated later flees to exact retribution.
Prison Conditions
The former leader was held in solitary confinement for his own security in a room of about nine sq metres including private facilities in the Paris jail in the city. Security personnel occupied a neighbouring cell.
It was stated his diet consisted only yoghurts during his stay due to concerns meals provided could have been tampered with. Options were available to cook for himself but refused this, according to reports. It is uncertain if he will detail meals during incarceration.
Defense Viewpoint
The legal representative, who visited his client daily while he was in prison, told the release hearing he would be safer released than inside. “He received menacing messages, heard shouts at night and emergency responses in an adjacent room as a detainee harmed themselves.”
Legal Proceedings
Sarkozy went to prison last month following the judiciary gave him a five-year sentence on conspiracy charges related to a plan to secure election financing during his election campaign.
He maintains his innocence challenging the decision, with a new trial planned for next spring.