🔗 Share this article Nicolas Sarkozy Characterizes Existence in Jail as ‘Gruelling’ and ‘a Horrific Experience’ The former French president has declared that his period of incarceration has been “gruelling” and a “horrific experience” as he was present via video link at a judicial proceeding regarding his petition to complete his jail term at home. Court Appearance from Behind Bars The former leader, dressed in a navy blue suit, appeared on camera from jail on Monday, seated at a table with his legal representatives beside him. He told the court: “I want to commend all the correctional officers, who are exceptionally humane, and who have made this nightmare bearable – because it is a horrific experience.” Background of the Case The former president was admitted to La Santé prison in Paris on 21 October, after being handed a half-decade imprisonment for criminal conspiracy over a plan to obtain funds for his 2007 presidential election campaign from the government of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. He has challenged the verdict, but the court ruled that because of the “exceptional gravity” of his guilty verdict, he had to be incarcerated while the legal challenge proceeded. Unprecedented Significance Sarkozy, who was France’s rightwing president between 2007 and 2012, is the initial ex-leader of an EU country to be imprisoned in prison, and the first French postwar leader to go behind bars. Personal Statement Sarkozy told the court from prison: “I was completely unaware or desire to ask Mr Gaddafi for any kind of financing … I will not admit to something I am innocent of … I could not have foreseen that at 70 years of age, I’d be in prison. It’s an challenge that has been imposed on me. I confess it’s hard, it’s extremely challenging. It has an impact on any prisoner because it’s gruelling.” He stated he would not attempt to enter into contact with any accused individuals or witnesses in the case. He said: “I’m French, I am patriotic, my family is in France. This situation has made them suffer a lot.” Defense Lawyers Comments His legal representative Jean-Michel Darrois, positioned beside him in the prison video link room, stated: “Being in isolation has been very hard for him.” He commented on Sarkozy: “He’s a strong, durable and brave man and this imprisonment has been very painful for him.” In court, a different legal representative, Christophe Ingrain, who had seen him daily, said Sarkozy would be more secure outside jail than inside. “He has faced death threats, has listened to shouts at night and the urgent intervention in a neighbouring cell when a prisoner injured themselves,” he stated. Current Status The public attorney Damien Brunet asked that Sarkozy’s request for release be approved. The court will announce its decision on Monday afternoon. Incarceration Details Sarkozy has been held in solitary confinement for his own safety, in an private room of about 9 sq metres, with his own shower and restroom. Security personnel are occupying a neighbouring cell to protect him. Accounts indicated that he had been consuming solely yogurt in prison as he feared any meal might have been tampered with. He had been offered the facilities to cook for himself but refused this. Support from Outside His online presence last week posted a recording of numerous correspondences, cards and parcels it said had been delivered to his attention, including a collection, a sweet treat and a book. “No letter will go unanswered,” his account declared. “The final chapter has not yet been written.” Items in Prison The former leader took into prison a biography of Jesus as well as The Count of Monte Cristo, the famous work in which an innocent man is imprisoned but breaks out to seek retribution. Court Case Details During Sarkozy’s three-month trial, the state attorney had told the court that Sarkozy engaged in a “Faustian pact of corruption with one of the worst rulers of the last three decades. Sarkozy denied wrongdoing and said he had not been involved in a criminal conspiracy to seek election funding from Libya. He was found not guilty of three separate charges of dishonesty, misuse of Libyan public funds and unlawful political financing. After the state prosecutor also challenged these acquittals, Sarkozy will be judged again on all the charges next year, including illegal collaboration. Prior Legal Issues Although the claims of a secret campaign funding pact with the North African government formed the biggest corruption trial Sarkozy had faced, he had already been convicted in two different proceedings and lost France’s top honor, the national recognition. Sarkozy had previously become the first former French head of state forced to wear an monitoring device after being found guilty in a separate case of corruption and influence peddling. In that situation, he was given a one-year jail term but was able to complete it with an electronic tag attached to his leg. He had the device for a quarter year before being granted conditional release.