Nicolas Sarkozy will become the first French ex-president to go to jail, as he starts a five-year sentence for conspiring to fund his election campaign with money from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
Not since World War Two Nazi collaborationist leader Philippe Pétain was jailed for treason in 1945 has any French ex-leader gone behind bars.
Sarkozy, who was president from 2007-2012, has appealed against his jail term at La Santé prison, where he will occupy a cell roughly measuring 9 sq m (95 sq ft) in the jail's isolation wing.
More than 100 people stood outside the jail after his son Louis, 28, called on supporters for a show of support.
Another son, Pierre, called for a message of love - nothing else, please.
Nicolas Sarkozy, 70, arrived at the infamous 19th-Century prison in the Montparnasse district on October 21, 2025. He continues to protest his innocence in the highly controversial Libyan money affair.
Sarkozy has insisted he wants no special treatment at the notorious La Santé prison, although he has been placed in isolation for his safety due to the criminal backgrounds of other inmates.
Inside his cell, he will have basic amenities including a toilet, shower, desk, and small TV, but will only be allowed one hour of solitary exercise each day.
Ahead of his incarceration, Sarkozy stated, I'm not afraid of prison. I'll keep my head held high, including at the prison gates. He has consistently denied wrongdoing, claiming he was not personally involved in the alleged illicit funding from Libya.
As he begins his term behind bars, Sarkozy’s son Louis publicly expressed support for his father, while French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin committed to visiting him in prison to ensure his safety.
