The Former French President to Pen Prison Memoir Detailing His 20 Days Behind Bars
Nicolas Sarkozy will soon publish a memoir next month named Notes from a Cell, which recounts his time served in custody.
The announcement was made just 11 days after the former president left prison as he appeals the guilty verdict related to illegal collaboration regarding a scheme to acquire election campaign funds linked to the leadership of the late Libyan dictator.
Time in Custody: Solitary Musings
“In prison visibility is limited, with little to occupy time,” he writes in an extract, suggesting the memoir centers around his musings while in isolation instead of extensive analysis regarding the overcrowded and struggling correctional facilities in the country.
“I forget silence, not present in La Santé, where noise is a lot to hear,” he adds. “The racket is alas constant. Yet, similar to barren lands, one’s inner world is strengthened in prison.”
Freedom Plea: Recounting the Hardship
During his plea for freedom, Sarkozy was present remotely from his cell, depicting prison life as exhausting. He stated to the judge: “I must acknowledge to all the prison staff, displaying remarkable compassion, easing this difficult experience tolerable – because it is a nightmare.”
“It never crossed my mind that at 70 years of age, I’d find myself behind bars. It’s a trial I must endure. It’s challenging, I acknowledge, extremely tough. It has an impact all who experience it due to its intensity.”
Historical Context
He, the ex-head of state between 2007 and 2012, set a precedent as past president from the EU and the first leader since WWII of France to be incarcerated.
Prior to imprisonment he declared he planned to utilize the opportunity to write a book.
Cell Library
Unconfirmed is did he manage to read and critique the three books he had in his cell: a life story of Jesus spanning two books together with Dumas’s work the famous story, in which a blameless person is imprisoned but escapes to take revenge.
Life in Confinement
Sarkozy was held in solitary confinement to protect him in a cell of about nine sq metres including private facilities at the correctional facility located in the capital. Security personnel stayed in a neighbouring cell.
It was stated that he consumed solely dairy snacks while inside because he feared prison cuisine might have been spat on. He had facilities to prepare his own meals but refused this, based on unnamed sources. It is uncertain if the memoir includes his dietary choices.
Legal Perspective
Sarkozy’s lawyer, who visited his client every day during the incarceration, stated during proceedings his safety would improve out of prison compared to inside. “There were threats against his life, listened to yells at night plus rapid actions next door when a prisoner self-harmed.”
Case Background
He entered custody last month after the judiciary imposed a five-year sentence for illegal collaboration over a scheme to secure election financing for his 2007 presidential race.
He denies wrongdoing and is contesting the ruling, and another court case is scheduled for early next year.
