Nicolas Sarkozy has become the first modern French president to face imprisonment following a conviction for criminal conspiracy in a high-profile case involving campaign financing from Libya. The former president, 70, began his five-year prison sentence at La Santé, a notorious prison in Paris, on Tuesday, marking a historic moment in French judicial history. His wife, Carla Bruni, accompanied him as he walked to the prison, where he will serve his term in solitary confinement.
Sarkozy, who previously held the position of president from 2007 to 2012, was previously convicted of a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya. The ruling by the Paris court mandated that he begin serving his sentence immediately without waiting for his appeal to be heard, citing the seriousness of the offense and the disruption it caused to public order.
Sarkozy’s legal team has immediately filed a request for his release, and the case has ignited a national debate over the implications of prosecuting a former leader. His supporters have expressed strong condemnation of the ruling, with some stating that it is a politically motivated move against him. In his statement, Sarkozy declared himself an