Nicolas Sarkozy Preparing to Release Prison Memoir Documenting His 20 Days Behind Bars
The ex-president of France plans a memoir in the coming weeks called A Prisoner’s Diary, detailing his time endured in custody.
The announcement emerged just 11 days after Sarkozy left prison while he contests the court ruling on charges of illegal collaboration connected to efforts to acquire presidential race money from the government of Muammar Gaddafi.
Life Behind Bars: Personal Reflections
“Behind bars visibility is limited, with little to occupy time,” he notes in an extract, suggesting the account is more about his musings from isolation rather than a broader observation on the packed and struggling correctional facilities in the country.
“Silence escapes me, not present at the prison, where there is constant sound,” he states. “The din persists relentlessly. Yet, similar to barren lands, one’s inner world is fortified while incarcerated.”
Court Appearance: Recounting the Hardship
While appealing for release, the former leader was present via screen from inside the facility, describing his time inside as gruelling. He stated to the judge: “I must acknowledge those working in the jail, displaying remarkable compassion, and who helped make this difficult experience bearable – as it truly is one.”
“I didn’t expect that at 70 years of age, I’d find myself behind bars. It’s an ordeal that has been imposed on me. I confess it’s hard, deeply straining. It has an impact on any prisoner because it’s gruelling.”
Unprecedented Situation
The former president, the ex-head of state from 2007 to 2012, became the inaugural past president of an EU country and the initial post-WWII figure from France to serve time in prison.
Ahead of his incarceration he declared he would use his time for authoring a memoir.
Books in Prison
It is not certain whether he had time to read and critique the three books he took into prison: a biography of Jesus in two parts and Alexandre Dumas’s novel the famous story, where an innocent man is sentenced to jail but escapes to take revenge.
Daily Reality
The former leader was placed in isolation to protect him in a cell approximately nine square meters with his own shower and toilet at the correctional facility located in the capital. Security personnel stayed in the next cell.
Reports indicated his diet consisted solely dairy snacks during his stay because he feared prison cuisine may have been contaminated. Although he had access to prepare his own meals yet he declined, based on unnamed sources. Unclear remains if he will detail his dietary choices.
Defense Viewpoint
His attorney, Christophe Ingrain daily throughout the jail term, informed the court he would be safer released compared to inside. “He has faced death threats, heard shouts during nighttime and emergency responses next door when a prisoner self-harmed.”
Charges and Sentence
He entered custody in late October when a French court imposed a half-decade term for criminal conspiracy in connection with efforts to obtain campaign funds for his 2007 presidential race.
He maintains his innocence and has appealed against the verdict, with a new trial planned for next spring.
