PARIS — PARIS (AP) — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at a jail in Paris on Tuesday to start serving a 5-year sentence for a felony conspiracy to finance his 2007 election marketing campaign with funds from Libya.
He’s the primary ex-leader of recent France to be imprisoned.
Sarkozy, hand-in-hand along with his spouse Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, left house earlier than getting right into a automobile and touring to the La Santé jail.
On his method to jail, Sarkozy stated in an announcement launched on social media that “an harmless man” was being locked up.
He was convicted final month for felony conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 election marketing campaign with funds from Libya.
Sarkozy contests each the conviction and a choose’s uncommon resolution to incarcerate him pending attraction. His journey from the presidential Elysée Palace to the infamous La Santé jail in Paris has captivated France.
Minutes earlier than getting into jail, Sarkozy and his spouse walked slowly to affix his youngsters and grandchildren outdoors his house. He waved at a crowd of supporters gathered within the high-end Paris neighborhood the place he lives, then received into his automobile.
A whole lot of supporters applauded and chanted “Nicolas, Nicolas” and sang the French anthem. Two French flags have been held on a close-by fence, with the inscriptions: “Braveness Nicolas, return quickly” and “true France with Nicolas.”
Sarkozy’s sons and daughter — Jean, Pierre, Louis and Giulia — and his grandchildren confirmed up on the gathering.
Parisian resident Michelle Perié, 67, stated she got here in assist “as a result of there’s anger, injustice.”
“He’s not like some other defendants, he’s somebody who holds state secrets and techniques, he’s somebody who has at all times achieved his job along with his head held excessive. We don’t perceive,” she stated.
Embattled centrist President Emmanuel Macron hosted the conservative Sarkozy on the presidential palace final week. ‘’I’ve at all times been very clear in my public statements in regards to the independence of the judiciary in my function, however it was regular on a human degree to obtain considered one of my predecessors on this context,” Macron stated Monday.
Sarkozy’s attorneys stated the previous president shall be held in solitary confinement, the place he shall be refrained from all different prisoners for safety causes.
Sarkozy’s lawyer Christophe Ingrain stated on BFM TV that incarceration “strengthens his willpower, it strengthens his rage to show that he’s harmless.” Ingrain stated Sarkozy is planning to write down a e book about his jail expertise.
Jean-Michel Darrois, one other of Sarkozy’s attorneys, stated on Tuesday that the previous president received himself “mentally ready” to be held in solitary confinement, the place he can be refrained from all different prisoners for safety causes.
“First, he packed a bag with a couple of sweaters as a result of it’s chilly in jail, and earplugs as a result of it’s very noisy,” Darrois stated on France Data information broadcaster. “Isolation like what he’s going to undergo is painful, however he received himself ready.”
“I’m not afraid of jail. I’ll maintain my head excessive, together with in entrance of the doorways of La Santé,” Sarkozy advised La Tribune Dimanche newspaper. “I’ll combat until the tip.”
The paper stated Sarkozy has his jail bag prepared with garments and the ten household photographs he’s allowed to deliver.
Sarkozy additionally advised Le Figaro newspaper that he would deliver three books — the utmost allowed — together with Alexandre Dumas’ “The Depend of Monte Cristo,” wherein the hero escapes from an island jail earlier than looking for revenge.
The Paris choose dominated that Sarkozy would begin to serve jail time with out ready for his attraction to be heard, resulting from “the seriousness of the disruption to public order attributable to the offense.”
Below the ruling, the 70-year-old Sarkozy will solely be capable of file a request for launch to the appeals court docket as soon as he’s behind bars, and judges will then have as much as two months to course of it.
Sarkozy’s attorneys stated a request for launch shall be filed in a short time.
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AP journalists Angela Charlton, Oleg Cetinic and Nicolas Garriga contributed.
