Nicolas Sarkozy to Pen Jail Diary Detailing Three Weeks Incarcerated
Nicolas Sarkozy plans a memoir in the coming weeks titled Diary of a Prisoner, which recounts his time spent in jail.
The revelation was made less than two weeks following the ex-leader left prison as he contests the court ruling for illegal collaboration connected to efforts to secure political financing provided by the leadership of Muammar Gaddafi.
Life Behind Bars: Solitary Musings
“Inside jail one sees little, and activities are scarce,” he writes in one passage, suggesting the memoir is more about his reflections while in isolation rather than a broader observation regarding the packed and troubled correctional facilities in the country.
“Silence escapes me, which is missing at the prison, where there is endless commotion,” he adds. “The racket unfortunately never stops. However, akin to empty spaces, personal reflection is fortified behind bars.”
Freedom Plea: Sharing the Struggle
During his plea for freedom, he participated via screen from inside the facility, characterizing his incarceration as gruelling. He stated to the judge: “I wish to commend those working in the jail, showing great humanity, easing this difficult experience manageable – because it is a nightmare.”
“It never crossed my mind at this stage of life, I’d find myself behind bars. It’s an ordeal I must endure. I admit it’s difficult, extremely tough. It affects one on any prisoner as it’s exhausting.”
Unprecedented Situation
He, who led the nation for a five-year term, was the first ex-leader from the EU and the first leader since WWII from France to serve time in prison.
Prior to imprisonment he had said he would use his time to compose an account.
Reading Material
It remains unclear whether he had time to go through the texts he had in his cell: a biography of Jesus in two parts together with Dumas’s work The Count of Monte Cristo, in which a blameless person is imprisoned then breaks out to exact retribution.
Life in Confinement
The former leader remained in solitary confinement to protect him in a cell of about nine sq metres including private facilities in the Paris jail in Paris. Two bodyguards stayed in a neighbouring cell.
Reports indicated that he had eaten just yogurt while inside due to concerns any food might have been spat on. Options were available for self-catering yet he declined, based on unnamed sources. It is uncertain if the memoir includes meals during incarceration.
Lawyer’s Statements
His attorney, who saw him regularly each day while he was in prison, stated during proceedings security would be better out of prison rather than in custody. “There were threats against his life, heard shouts after dark and the urgent intervention in an adjacent room as a detainee harmed themselves.”
Charges and Sentence
His incarceration began last month after a Paris court gave him a half-decade term for illegal collaboration related to a plan to obtain political donations for his 2007 presidential race.
He denies wrongdoing challenging the decision, with a new trial set for next spring.
