Former French President Sarkozy begins 5-year prison sentence in solitary confinement

[dalton99a]

https://apnews.com/article/nicolas-sarkozy-prison-france-libya-elysee-sante-3f8ecf08fd10e5c3812c9e48b2f01d7b

Former French President Sarkozy begins a 5-year prison sentence for campaign finance conspiracy
By SYLVIE CORBET and MASHA MACPHERSON
Updated 6:32 AM CDT, October 21, 2025

PARIS (AP) — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy entered a prison in Paris on Tuesday to begin serving a 5-year sentence for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya — a historic moment that makes him the first ex-leader of modern France to be imprisoned.

Sarkozy, 70, was greeted by hundreds of supporters when he walked out of his Paris home earlier in the day hand-in-hand with his wife, supermodel-turned-singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. He embraced her before getting into a police car.

Minutes later, the vehicle passed through the gates of the notorious La Santé prison — where Sarkozy will now serve his sentence in solitary confinement.

Sarkozy was convicted last month for criminal conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya.

...

[hlthe2b]

1. Yet, we have a 32 time convicted felon in the Presidency. France, my hat is off to you for at least

holding your leaders to account. Even Italy has done so (repeatedly). The US? nah... You jest...

[malaise]

2. Good

Rec

[AZJonnie]

3. Nobody should be put into solitary confinement for even 5 months, let alone 5 years

Hopefully 'solitary' in the French system is not as much of an inhumane and abhorrent form of torture as it (generally) is in US prisons.

[SunSeeker]

5. It's not like US solitary confinement. He is simply being separated from other inmates for security purposes.

From the article:

Sarkozy’s lawyers said he will be kept away from all other prisoners for security reasons. They said he packed a bag with a few sweaters because the prison is cold and earplugs because it’s noisy.
...
He will be allowed to go outdoors one hour per day alone in the prison yard and to get three visits per week from his family, Ingrain said, adding that he is planning to write a book about his prison experience.

[AZJonnie]

6. Thanks! I figured it was not the same meaning across the pond, and that it was based on his personal security

as opposed to being a punitive measure (as "The Hole" so often is in the USA, leveraged by prison wardens as opposed to courts ).

In fact from your article quote there, it's so different that "solitary confinement" should be probably avoided as a descriptor, at least in any version of the article meant for US consumption, but again thanks for clearing it up

[SunSeeker]

4. Trump should be in prison with him. I wish we had France's working justice system.

Vive la France.

[fujiyamasan]

7. This is what accountability looks like

No man or woman above the law.

These concepts sound quaint over here.