Nicolas Sarkozy Preparing to Release Jail Diary Detailing His 20 Days Behind Bars
Nicolas Sarkozy will soon publish a book this autumn titled A Prisoner’s Diary, chronicling his experience endured in jail.
The revelation emerged shortly following the former president gained freedom as he appeals the guilty verdict related to criminal conspiracy regarding a scheme to acquire election campaign funds from the government of former Libyan leader.
Prison Experience: Inner Thoughts
“Behind bars there is nothing to see, and activities are scarce,” he writes in a preview, implying the memoir will focus on his reflections during seclusion rather than a broader observation on the overcrowded and struggling correctional facilities in the country.
“Quiet is absent, which is missing in La Santé, where one hears a lot to hear,” he continues. “The racket unfortunately never stops. However, akin to empty spaces, inner life grows stronger in prison.”
Release Hearing: Recounting the Hardship
While appealing for release, the former leader participated remotely from inside the facility, describing his time inside as gruelling. He stated to the judge: “I must acknowledge to all the prison staff, who are exceptionally humane, and who helped make this nightmare bearable – since it’s deeply troubling.”
“I didn’t expect that in my seventies, I would end up incarcerated. It’s an ordeal I must endure. It’s challenging, I acknowledge, deeply straining. It leaves a mark on any prisoner because it’s gruelling.”
Unprecedented Situation
He, the ex-head of state between 2007 and 2012, was the first ex-leader in the European Union and the initial post-WWII figure in the French Republic to be incarcerated.
Prior to imprisonment he had said he intended to spend the period to write a book.
Books in Prison
It is not certain did he manage to read and critique the texts he had in his cell: a life story of Jesus spanning two books plus the novel by Dumas The Count of Monte Cristo, in which an innocent man is imprisoned later flees to exact retribution.
Daily Reality
He was held secluded due to safety concerns in a room approximately nine square meters with his own shower and toilet in the Paris jail in Paris. Security personnel were stationed in an adjacent room.
Sources mentioned that he had eaten just yogurt while inside due to concerns prison cuisine might have been spat on. Options were available to prepare his own meals yet he declined, as per accounts. Unclear remains whether Sarkozy will write about what he ate in prison.
Legal Perspective
Sarkozy’s lawyer, who saw him regularly every day throughout the jail term, stated during proceedings he would be safer released compared to inside. “He received menacing messages, has heard screaming during nighttime plus rapid actions in a neighbouring cell during an inmate’s self-injury.”
Charges and Sentence
He entered custody on 21 October after the judiciary imposed a five-year sentence on conspiracy charges in connection with efforts to obtain political donations for his 2007 presidential race.
He disputes the charges challenging the decision, with a new trial set for the coming spring.
