Former French President Sarkozy begins a 5-year prison sentence
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has entered a Paris prison to begin serving a five-year sentence
BySYLVIE CORBET Associated Press and MASHA MACPHERSON Associated Press
October 20, 2025, 11:20 PM
PARIS -- 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.
He contests both the conviction and a judge’s unusual decision to incarcerate him pending appeal. His lawyers said Tuesday that they filed an immediate request for his release.
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https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/nicolas-sarkozy-frances-presidential-palace-paris-prison-126708251
