The Former French President to Pen Jail Diary Chronicling Two Dozen Days In Custody
Nicolas Sarkozy will soon publish a personal account this autumn called Diary of a Prisoner, detailing his time spent behind bars.
The announcement came less than two weeks following the ex-leader was released as he appeals the guilty verdict related to illegal collaboration regarding a scheme to secure election campaign funds from the government of former Libyan leader.
Time in Custody: Solitary Musings
“In prison one sees little, and activities are scarce,” he notes in a preview, indicating the memoir centers around his musings during seclusion as opposed to extensive analysis regarding the packed and crisis-hit correctional facilities in the country.
“Quiet is absent, which is missing at the prison, where there is a lot to hear,” he states. “The noise unfortunately never stops. Yet, similar to barren lands, inner life is fortified while incarcerated.”
Freedom Plea: Sharing the Struggle
At his release request hearing, he was present remotely from his cell, depicting prison life as exhausting. He stated to the judge: “I wish to commend to all the prison staff, who are exceptionally humane, easing this difficult experience bearable – as it truly is one.”
“It never crossed my mind that at 70 years of age, I would end up incarcerated. It’s an ordeal forced upon me. I admit it’s difficult, it’s very hard. It has an impact all who experience it as it’s exhausting.”
Historical Context
Sarkozy, the ex-head of state for a five-year term, was the first past president in the European Union and the first postwar leader in the French Republic to serve time in prison.
Before entering jail he declared he intended to spend the period for authoring a memoir.
Books in Prison
It is not certain whether he had time to read and critique the volumes he took into prison: a two-volume biography of Jesus together with Dumas’s work The Count of Monte Cristo, in which a wrongfully accused individual is sentenced to jail then breaks out to exact retribution.
Daily Reality
He was placed in solitary confinement for his own security in a space of about nine sq metres featuring a personal bathroom at the correctional facility located in the capital. Guards stayed in an adjacent room.
It was stated that he had eaten solely dairy snacks during his stay because he feared meals provided may have been contaminated. Options were available for self-catering but he turned this down, according to reports. Not known is whether Sarkozy will write about meals during incarceration.
Legal Perspective
The legal representative, who saw him regularly each day while he was in prison, informed the court he would be safer out of prison compared to inside. “He has faced threats against his life, has heard screaming after dark and the urgent intervention in a neighbouring cell as a detainee harmed themselves.”
Case Background
His incarceration began on 21 October after the judiciary imposed five years in prison for criminal conspiracy related to a plan to obtain political donations for his 2007 presidential race.
He maintains his innocence and has appealed against the verdict, and another court case set for the coming spring.
