🔗 Share this article The former French president Describes Life in Jail as ‘Draining’ and ‘an Ordeal’ Ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy has declared that his period of incarceration has been “exhausting” and a “horrific experience” as he appeared via remote connection at a judicial proceeding regarding his petition to serve his sentence at home. Legal Proceeding 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 lawyers beside him. He told the court: “I want to commend all the prison staff, who are remarkably compassionate, and who have made this nightmare bearable – because it is a horrific experience.” Context of the Case The former president entered the correctional facility in Paris on 21 October, after being handed a half-decade imprisonment for criminal conspiracy over a scheme to obtain funds for his election bid from the regime of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. He has appealed against the ruling, but the court ruled that because of the “exceptional gravity” of his guilty verdict, he had to go to prison while the appeals process proceeded. Historical Importance The former leader, who was France’s conservative leader between 2007 and 2012, is the initial ex-leader of an EU country to serve time in prison, and the initial leader since WWII to go behind bars. Emotional Testimony Sarkozy told the court from prison: “I never had any idea or desire to ask Mr Gaddafi for any kind of financing … I will never confess to something I didn’t do … I never imagined that at 70 years of age, I’d be in prison. It’s an ordeal that has been imposed on me. I admit it’s hard, it’s very hard. It has an impact on any prisoner because it’s exhausting.” He stated he would not attempt to enter into contact with any defendants or testifiers in the case. He said: “I’m French, I am patriotic, my family is in France. This ordeal has caused them pain a lot.” Legal Team Observations Sarkozy’s lawyer Jean-Michel Darrois, positioned beside him in the remote connection facility, 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 caused him great suffering.” In court, another of Sarkozy’s lawyers, Christophe Ingrain, who had seen him daily, said Sarkozy would be more secure out of prison than within. “He has received threats against his life, has heard screaming at night and the emergency response in a adjacent room when a prisoner self-harmed,” he stated. Present Situation The public attorney Damien Brunet asked that Sarkozy’s request for release be granted. The court will announce its decision on Monday afternoon. Prison Conditions Sarkozy has been held in solitary confinement for his own security, in an private room of about 9 sq metres, with his own washing facility and toilet. Security personnel are occupying a neighbouring cell to ensure his safety. Reports suggested that he had been eating only yoghurt in prison as he was concerned any meal might have been contaminated. He had been given the opportunity to cook for himself but declined the offer. Support from the Public His online presence last week shared a recording of numerous correspondences, postcards and packages it said had been delivered to his attention, including a collage, a sweet treat and a book. “No correspondence will go without a response,” his account announced. “The final chapter has not yet been written.” Items in Prison Sarkozy took into prison a life story of Christ as well as The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas’s novel in which an wrongly accused individual is imprisoned but escapes to seek retribution. Legal Proceedings Details During the lengthy court case, the public prosecutor had informed the judges that Sarkozy engaged in a “Faustian pact of dishonesty with one of the most unspeakable dictators of the last 30 years. The accused maintained his innocence and said he had not been part of a illegal scheme to obtain campaign finances from Libya. He was acquitted of three separate charges of dishonesty, improper handling of state money and illegal election campaign funding. After the state prosecutor also challenged these acquittals, Sarkozy will be judged again on all the charges next year, including criminal conspiracy. Prior Legal Issues Although the allegations of a clandestine financial agreement with the North African government formed the most significant legal case 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 convicted in a different matter of dishonesty and improper sway. In that case, he was given a one-year jail term but was able to complete it with an electronic tag worn around the ankle. He had the device for three months before being granted conditional release.