Sarkozy Begins Prison Sentence โขin Paris’s Santรฉ Prison
Former French President โNicolas Sarkozy has begun serving his prison sentence in the Santรฉ prison in Paris. Heโฃ is โคthe firstโฃ post-war French head of state โฃand the first ex-president of anโ EU country โto be incarcerated. Sarkozy will โฃinitially beโ held in a nine-square-meter solitary cell, with no contact with other prisoners.
The former โคpresidentโข was sentenced to five โฃyears in โprisonโฃ with immediate execution on Septemberโ 25th following a conviction โfor illegal โcampaign financing linked toโค Libya. The court found โSarkozyโค had taskedโ closeโค associates with negotiating funding from Libya for his โข2007 presidential campaign.
While Sarkozy โhas appealed the verdict, judges ruled that the severity โofโ the offenses warranted immediateโ imprisonment pending the appealโข process. He is eligibleโ to apply for alternatives to incarceration, โคsuch as house arrest withโ electronic monitoring, after beginning his sentence. โคHowever, a decision on any such โapplication is not expected for at least two months, meaning he โคwill remain in โคthe solitary cell โฃfor the foreseeable future.
Santรฉ prison houses an areaโฃ within its complex, building QB4, designated for prisoners requiring targeted monitoring. This area contains 19 cells and โis officially described as an “areaโค for vulnerable people” – thoseโฃ whose safety could be compromised โthrough interaction โคwith the general prison population,includingโข high-profile individuals โขor those involved in widely publicized cases. Itโ also houses convicted โsex โoffenders, โinformants, and convicted police โofficers.
Despite theโฃ designation, the cells in this area are โnot specially equipped. Sarkozy’s cell, like others, includes a โshower, refrigerator, โขand television. Furnishings are basic, consisting โฃof a small, 80-centimeter wide bed and a floor-mounted, small Ikea-style desk.
