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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 the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
He is the first French ex-head of state to go to jail since World War II collaborationist leader Philippe Pétain in 1945.
Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, arrived at La Santé prison in Paris on Tuesday morning, waving to supporters who had gathered outside his home to cheer him on. “Nicolas! Nicolas!” they shouted as he left, hand-in-hand with his wife, singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
The 70-year-old has appealed against the sentence but must remain in custody in the prison’s isolation wing for security reasons. His lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, said a request for release had already been filed, arguing that “nothing justifies his imprisonment.” He could remain behind bars for at least three weeks while the court considers the appeal.
As his car entered the gates of the 19th-century facility at 09:40 local time (07:40 GMT), Sarkozy posted on X:
“I have no doubt — truth will prevail. But how crushing the price will have been. They are not locking up a former president this morning, but an innocent man.”