🔗 Share this article The Former French President Preparing to Release Jail Diary Documenting Three Weeks Behind Bars Nicolas Sarkozy is preparing a personal account this autumn called A Prisoner’s Diary, chronicling the period spent in custody. The announcement was made shortly after the former president was released as his appeal proceeds the court ruling on charges of unlawful coordination in a case to secure presidential race money provided by the regime of Muammar Gaddafi. Life Behind Bars: Solitary Musings “In prison visibility is limited, and nothing to do,” he writes in one passage, suggesting the account will focus on his reflections during solitary confinement rather than a broader observation regarding the overcrowded and crisis-hit French prison system. “Silence escapes me, which is missing at the prison, where one hears a lot to hear,” he adds. “The racket unfortunately never stops. Yet, similar to barren lands, personal reflection is strengthened behind bars.” Release Hearing: Recounting the Hardship At his release request hearing, the former leader participated remotely from his cell, characterizing his incarceration as exhausting. He expressed in court: “I wish to commend to all the prison staff, who are exceptionally humane, and who have made this difficult experience tolerable – since it’s deeply troubling.” “I didn’t expect that at 70 years of age, I’d find myself behind bars. It’s a trial forced upon me. I admit it’s difficult, it’s very hard. It leaves a mark every inmate due to its intensity.” Historical Context He, who led the nation for a five-year term, was the first ex-leader in the European Union and the first leader since WWII of France to experience jail. Before entering jail he declared he intended to spend the period for authoring a memoir. Cell Library It remains unclear if he found the opportunity to go through the volumes he had in his cell: a two-volume biography of Jesus together with Dumas’s work The Count of Monte Cristo, where a blameless person is imprisoned but escapes to take revenge. Daily Reality He was held in solitary confinement due to safety concerns in a cell approximately nine square meters featuring a personal bathroom in the Paris jail located in the capital. Two bodyguards were stationed in an adjacent room. Reports indicated that he had eaten solely dairy snacks in prison because he feared meals provided might have been spat on. Although he had access for self-catering but refused this, according to reports. It is uncertain if he will detail meals during incarceration. Legal Perspective The legal representative, Christophe Ingrain daily throughout the jail term, informed the court security would be better outside jail rather than in custody. “There were threats against his life, listened to yells at night and the urgent intervention next door when a prisoner self-harmed.” Legal Proceedings Sarkozy went to prison last month when a French court imposed five years in prison on conspiracy charges related to a plan to secure campaign funds during his election campaign. He disputes the charges and has appealed against the verdict, and another court case is scheduled for next spring.