Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was taken to prison on Tuesday after being convicted of corruption and illegal campaign financing linked to late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi — marking the first time a former head of state from a European Union nation has been jailed.
Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, began serving a five-year sentence following his conviction in September for criminal conspiracy and illegal campaign funding. The court found that he sought financial support from Gaddafi’s regime for his 2007 presidential campaign — allegations he has consistently denied.
AFP journalists witnessed the 70-year-old politician leave his Paris home Tuesday morning under heavy police escort. After a brief drive through the French capital, Sarkozy entered the La Santé prison, one of France’s most secure detention facilities.
Inside the facility, prisoners reportedly shouted, “Welcome, Sarkozy!” and “Sarkozy’s here!” as he was escorted to his cell.
In a defiant statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) shortly before his transfer, Sarkozy maintained his innocence and denounced the ruling as politically motivated.
“It is not a former president of the republic being jailed this morning, but an innocent man,” he wrote. “I have no doubt — the truth will prevail.”
The former leader’s imprisonment follows years of investigation into allegations that millions of euros were illegally funneled from Gaddafi’s Libya to support Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign — a scandal that has rocked French politics and tarnished his legacy.
Despite his conviction, Sarkozy has appealed the verdict, meaning the legal process is far from over. His legal team insists that no concrete evidence links him directly to the alleged Libyan payments.
Supporters and family members gathered outside his home early Tuesday, chanting his name and waving French flags as he left. Some held framed portraits of the former president, while others sang the national anthem, “La Marseillaise.”
“Nicolas, Nicolas! Free Nicolas!” the crowd shouted as Sarkozy, hand in hand with his wife, singer Carla Bruni, entered the waiting vehicle.
Flora Amanou, one of his supporters present at the scene, described the moment as “a sad day for France and for democracy.”
Sarkozy, a dominant figure in French politics for over two decades, has faced multiple legal battles since leaving office. In 2021, he was handed a separate prison sentence for corruption and influence peddling in an unrelated case involving attempts to bribe a judge.
For now, Sarkozy’s legal team says they will continue to fight to overturn his conviction, with his lawyers vowing to take the case to France’s highest court if necessary.
