The Former French President to Pen Jail Diary Chronicling Three Weeks In Custody

Nicolas Sarkozy plans a personal account in the coming weeks titled Diary of a Prisoner, detailing his time endured behind bars.

The revelation was made shortly following the former president gained freedom as he appeals the court ruling related to unlawful coordination connected to efforts to obtain presidential race money provided by the government of the late Libyan dictator.

Time in Custody: Solitary Musings

“Behind bars there is nothing to see, and nothing to do,” he notes in an extract, indicating the book will focus on his musings during isolation as opposed to a broader observation on the packed and crisis-hit French prison system.

“I forget silence, which doesn’t exist at the prison, where there is constant sound,” he continues. “The din unfortunately never stops. But, just like the desert, inner life grows stronger behind bars.”

Court Appearance: Describing the Ordeal

During his plea for freedom, Sarkozy had appeared remotely from his cell, describing his time inside as draining. He had told the court: “I want to pay tribute the correctional officers, who are exceptionally humane, easing this difficult experience manageable – since it’s deeply troubling.”

“I never imagined that in my seventies, I’d be in prison. It’s a trial that has been imposed on me. It’s challenging, I acknowledge, extremely tough. It affects one on any prisoner as it’s exhausting.”

First of Its Kind

The former president, the ex-head of state between 2007 and 2012, was the first past president in the European Union and the first leader since WWII of France to serve time in prison.

Before entering jail he had said he planned to utilize the opportunity for authoring a memoir.

Reading Material

It is not certain whether he had time to go through the volumes he took into prison: a biography of Jesus in two parts together with Dumas’s work The Count of Monte Cristo, where a blameless person ends up incarcerated later flees to exact retribution.

Daily Reality

He was held secluded for his own security in a cell approximately nine square meters featuring a personal bathroom in the Paris jail in the city. Security personnel occupied the next cell.

Reports indicated that he consumed only yoghurts while inside due to concerns prison cuisine may have been contaminated. Although he had access to cook for himself yet he declined, as per accounts. It is uncertain whether Sarkozy will write about his dietary choices.

Lawyer’s Statements

His attorney, who saw him regularly daily while he was in prison, stated during proceedings security would be better out of prison compared to inside. “There were death threats, listened to yells at night and emergency responses next door when a prisoner self-harmed.”

Charges and Sentence

He entered custody in late October when the judiciary gave him a five-year sentence for illegal collaboration related to a plan to secure political donations for his 2007 presidential race.

He disputes the charges and is contesting the ruling, and a fresh trial planned for the coming spring.