As reported by BFM TV, supporters of the former president gathered in front of his residence when he went to the Santé prison to serve his five-year sentence, following the verdict delivered on September 25.
The former French president was sentenced to five years in prison for participating in a criminal organization in the case of financing his presidential campaign by Libya. He appealed the sentence, but an order was issued for its preliminary execution.
In a message posted on social network X on the way to prison, Nicolas Sarkozy stated that he would be imprisoned on Tuesday morning as an «innocent» and that he would continue to «denounce this judicial scandal».
The former president will be in a solitary cell of 11 square meters with a sealed window, he will have a small television, but no mobile phone, reports BFM TV.
The sentence for the former French president was delivered on September 25, but with a «postponement of execution»— the date of imprisonment was not known at that time. Later, the court confirmed this date— October 21.
Sarkozy became the third French head of state to be imprisoned after Philippe Pétain after World War II and King Louis XVI after the Revolution.