The choice of reading material made by Sarkozy for his stay in prison is hardly accidental - along with the biography of Jesus, he also takes “The Count of Monte Cristo“, as he informed the French media. The novel by Alexandre Dumas is about an unjustly convicted sailor who takes revenge on his traitors, but also about forgiveness, ARD recalls.
Going to prison is, of course, a test – says Sarkozy in a video released days after the verdict. In it, he thanks the thousands of testimonies of support from various places in France. Sarkozy's words should be a display of dignity, but they also betray his anger, the German public media adds.
“I would like to thank you, but at the same time I want each of you to know - I will not allow this to happen to me“, the former president declares. “We will win, because truth and innocence must triumph.“
Sentence for the “Libya Affair“
At the end of September, Sarkozy was sentenced in the so-called “Libya Affair“ to five years in prison - for “creating a criminal group“. The first-instance judges considered it proven that the former president had his close associates seek financial support from the Libyan regime and former dictator Muammar Gaddafi for Sarkozy's presidential campaign in France in 2007. In addition, the judges imposed the so-called preliminary execution: Sarkozy must go to prison, although his lawyers are still appealing, so legally he is still considered innocent.
“For everyone who goes to prison for the first time, it is a shock“, French politician Joaquin Puyot emphasizes to ARD. He was a Socialist Party deputy in parliament until 2020 and is a former prison director. Sarkozy will serve his sentence in a prison in the south of Paris, where for security reasons he will be in the isolation ward, Puyot explains.
“This part of the prison is indeed separated from the others. He will be alone in his cell, he will not meet other prisoners. And he will be alone during walks in the prison yard. Naturally, he will be constantly accompanied and supervised“, Puyo also told the German public media.
Shower, toilet, TV
The conditions for the former president will not differ from those for other prisoners, Puyo points out. “These are cells measuring nine square meters, with fairly modest furnishings: a bed, a locker, a shower and a toilet.“ The inhabitants of the isolation ward also have rights: for example, to information or visits – within the limits set by the prosecutor's office, with strict regulations. Once a day, prisoners can go out for an hour for a walk in the yard.
According to the newspaper “Figaro“, Sarkozy has a TV in his cell, as well as the right to two visits a week, including from family members. One prominent would-be visitor has already made an application - Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, who was very saddened by what happened to Sarkozy, as he told RFI. "I was his employee and as a private citizen I cannot be insensitive to his despair," Darmanin said.
Could Sarkozy's imprisonment be a "blunder"?
The verdict against Sarkozy has provoked mixed reactions and has contributed to the increase in attacks on the justice system by some French politicians. In a weakened and divided country, Sarkozy's detention is "related to discontent, and perhaps even a blunder," wrote commentators in some conservative newspapers, ARD notes.
President Emmanuel Macron received his predecessor at the Elysee Palace before his imprisonment. From a human point of view, this is "normal," Sarkozy commented laconically.
It is not yet clear how long the former French president will have to remain behind bars. His lawyers confirmed that they will file an application for a suspended sentence immediately after his imprisonment. A decision on this should be made within two months. Sarkozy, for his part, said he plans to use his time in prison - not only to read “The Count of Monte Cristo“, but also to write his own book.
Author: Caroline Dilla ARD