The Former French President Preparing to Release Prison Memoir Documenting Three Weeks Incarcerated
Nicolas Sarkozy plans a book in the coming weeks called A Prisoner’s Diary, which recounts his experience endured in jail.
This news came less than two weeks after the ex-leader gained freedom as he contests the court ruling related to criminal conspiracy regarding a scheme to obtain political financing provided by the leadership of Muammar Gaddafi.
Time in Custody: Personal Reflections
“Behind bars one sees little, and nothing to do,” he reflects in a preview, indicating the account will focus on his reflections while in solitary confinement instead of wider commentary of the packed and troubled correctional facilities in the country.
“Quiet is absent, which is missing in that facility, where there is constant sound,” he states. “The din is alas constant. Yet, similar to barren lands, inner life grows stronger behind bars.”
Release Hearing: Recounting the Hardship
At his release request hearing, he was present via screen from a room in prison, describing his time inside as exhausting. He stated to the judge: “I wish to commend the correctional officers, who are exceptionally humane, easing this difficult experience bearable – because it is a nightmare.”
“It never crossed my mind that at 70 years of age, I would end up incarcerated. It’s a trial that has been imposed on me. I confess it’s hard, deeply straining. It leaves a mark on any prisoner as it’s exhausting.”
Historical Context
He, who led the nation from 2007 to 2012, became the inaugural former head in the European Union and the first postwar leader of France to be incarcerated.
Before entering jail he mentioned he would use his time for authoring a memoir.
Books in Prison
It remains unclear if he found the opportunity to read and critique the three books he took into prison: a two-volume biography of Jesus together with Dumas’s work the classic tale, a plot where a wrongfully accused individual is sentenced to jail then breaks out to seek vengeance.
Daily Reality
Sarkozy was placed in solitary confinement due to safety concerns in a cell approximately nine square meters with his own shower and toilet at the correctional facility located in the capital. Guards were stationed in an adjacent room.
Reports indicated that he had eaten just yogurt in prison worried that meals provided could have been tampered with. Options were available to prepare his own meals but he turned this down, based on unnamed sources. Not known is if he will detail what he ate in prison.
Legal Perspective
Sarkozy’s lawyer, Christophe Ingrain daily during the incarceration, told the release hearing security would be better outside jail than inside. “He has faced menacing messages, listened to yells at night and the urgent intervention in an adjacent room when a prisoner self-harmed.”
Case Background
Sarkozy went to prison on 21 October when the judiciary imposed a five-year sentence for criminal conspiracy over a scheme to obtain campaign funds for his presidential bid.
He maintains his innocence and is contesting the ruling, with a new trial planned for early next year.
