The Former French President Preparing to Release Prison Memoir Chronicling His 20 Days In Custody
Nicolas Sarkozy plans a memoir in the coming weeks titled A Prisoner’s Diary, detailing his time spent in custody.
This news came just 11 days after the ex-leader was released as his appeal proceeds his conviction on charges of illegal collaboration connected to efforts to obtain presidential race money linked to the government of the late Libyan dictator.
Life Behind Bars: Inner Thoughts
“Behind bars visibility is limited, and activities are scarce,” he notes in a preview, implying the memoir centers around his musings during isolation as opposed to extensive analysis regarding the strained and struggling French prison system.
“I forget silence, which doesn’t exist at the prison, where noise is endless commotion,” he states. “The racket unfortunately never stops. But, just like the desert, inner life is strengthened behind bars.”
Release Hearing: Sharing the Struggle
At his release request hearing, he was present via screen from a room in prison, describing his time inside as exhausting. He stated to the judge: “I wish to commend the correctional officers, showing great humanity, and who have made this nightmare tolerable – as it truly is one.”
“I never imagined that at 70 years of age, I would end up incarcerated. It’s a hardship forced upon me. I admit it’s difficult, extremely tough. It has an impact every inmate because it’s gruelling.”
Unprecedented Situation
The former president, who served as France’s president between 2007 and 2012, was the first ex-leader in the European Union and the first leader since WWII of France to serve time in prison.
Ahead of his incarceration he had said he would use his time for authoring a memoir.
Books in Prison
It is not certain if he found the opportunity to go through the three books he took into prison: a biography of Jesus in two parts and Alexandre Dumas’s novel The Count of Monte Cristo, in which an innocent man ends up incarcerated then breaks out to exact retribution.
Life in Confinement
The former leader was placed in isolation for his own security in a space roughly 100 square feet including private facilities at the correctional facility in the city. Security personnel stayed in the next cell.
Reports indicated his diet consisted only yoghurts in prison worried that any food might have been spat on. Although he had access to prepare his own meals but he turned this down, as per accounts. Not known is if he will detail meals during incarceration.
Defense Viewpoint
His attorney, who saw him regularly daily throughout the jail term, told the release hearing he would be safer outside jail rather than in custody. “He received menacing messages, listened to yells after dark and emergency responses in a neighbouring cell when a prisoner self-harmed.”
Case Background
Sarkozy went to prison on 21 October after the judiciary imposed five years in prison for illegal collaboration related to a plan to acquire election financing for his 2007 presidential race.
He denies wrongdoing challenging the decision, and another court case planned for the coming spring.