Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Begin Imprisonment in Solitary Confinement

Strategic Insights -

Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president of France, is set to start his five-year sentence in solitary confinement tomorrow, in what he has described as "just another chapter in a life worthy of a novel." Sarkozy was found guilty of conspiring to obtain illegal campaign funding from Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan dictator who died in 2011. Despite the conviction, Sarkozy remains defiant, comparing himself to Brazilian President Lula, who was jailed for corruption in 2018 but went on to become elected head of state.

Key Takeaways:

  • Sarkozy will be imprisoned in a cell measuring about 108 sq ft, with an 80cm-wide bed, basin, shower, lavatory, and small stove, and will be allowed to watch TV and have a fridge if he pays for them.
  • He will have access to an exercise yard for an hour a day, accompanied by three guards, and will be allowed to bring a round-ended knife and a fork, as well as three books, ten photographs, and a blanket.
  • Sarkozy has chosen to bring with him two volumes of Alexandre Dumas's novel "The Count of Monte Cristo" and a biography of Jesus Christ by Jean-Christian Petitfils.
  • He is allowed to receive two visits a week and make regular calls to his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and his children.
  • Sarkozy's lawyers are expected to appeal against the decision to remand him in custody, and if they win, he could be out of prison within days.
  • Sarkozy has been sentenced to 12 months in jail in 2021 for trying to bribe a judge, and a six-month sentence for illegally financing his 2012 presidential campaign.
  • He has appealed against his conviction and has compared himself to Lula, who was jailed before becoming elected head of state.

Statistics:

  • 5: the number of years Sarkozy has been sentenced to imprisonment
  • 158: the age of La Sante, the Paris jail where Sarkozy will be imprisoned
  • 108: the square feet of the cell where Sarkozy will be imprisoned
  • 80: the width of the bed in centimeters
  • 2: the number of volumes of "The Count of Monte Cristo" that Sarkozy will bring with him
  • 10: the number of photographs Sarkozy will be allowed to bring with him

Sources:

  • La Tribune Dimanche
  • Le Figaro
  • French media outlets
  • AFP