🔗 Share this article Nicolas Sarkozy Set to Write Prison Memoir Chronicling Three Weeks Behind Bars The ex-president of France will soon publish a personal account next month titled Diary of a Prisoner, detailing his experience served in custody. The announcement emerged shortly after the former president was released while he contests the court ruling related to criminal conspiracy connected to efforts to acquire election campaign funds linked to the leadership of former Libyan leader. Prison Experience: Personal Reflections “Inside jail one sees little, and nothing to do,” he writes in an extract, suggesting the account centers around his musings while in seclusion rather than wider commentary regarding the strained and troubled French prison system. “Quiet is absent, not present at the prison, where one hears endless commotion,” he adds. “The racket persists relentlessly. However, akin to empty spaces, personal reflection is fortified behind bars.” Freedom Plea: Sharing the Struggle During his plea for freedom, the former leader was present remotely from his cell, depicting prison life as gruelling. He expressed in court: “I wish to commend the correctional officers, displaying remarkable compassion, and who helped make this nightmare tolerable – since it’s deeply troubling.” “It never crossed my mind at this stage of life, I’d find myself behind bars. It’s an ordeal I must endure. I confess it’s hard, deeply straining. It affects one all who experience it as it’s exhausting.” Historical Context The former president, who led the nation from 2007 to 2012, became the inaugural former head of an EU country and the first postwar leader in the French Republic to be incarcerated. Before entering jail he had said he intended to spend the period to compose an account. Cell Library Unconfirmed is did he manage to go through the texts he had in his cell: a biography of Jesus in two parts plus the novel by Dumas The Count of Monte Cristo, in which an innocent man ends up incarcerated later flees to take revenge. Prison Conditions Sarkozy was placed in isolation for his own security in a cell approximately nine square meters with his own shower and toilet in the Paris jail located in the capital. Two bodyguards were stationed in an adjacent room. It was stated that he had eaten just yogurt in prison because he feared prison cuisine could have been tampered with. He had facilities for self-catering yet he declined, as per accounts. It is uncertain if he will detail meals during incarceration. Legal Perspective Sarkozy’s lawyer, who visited his client each day while he was in prison, informed the court his safety would improve out of prison than inside. “He received menacing messages, listened to yells during nighttime and the urgent intervention next door during an inmate’s self-injury.” Charges and Sentence His incarceration began last month after the judiciary imposed five years in prison on conspiracy charges over a scheme to obtain election financing during his election campaign. He disputes the charges and is contesting the ruling, with a new trial is scheduled for early next year.