Nicolas Sarkoz, 70, has left his home in Paris, holding his wife, Ms. 8:00 Bruni, in the chants of Nicolas, Nicolas and the French national anthem sung by supporters when he got in his car to La Sante prison. This is the first time a former French leader has been imprisoned since the reign of Philippe Betain, who collaborated with the German motherland during World War II.
Immediately after leaving home, Mr. Sarkozy posted a long message on social network X, asserting his innocence and saying that the verdict was "the result of hatred and revenge". Not a former Republican president detained this morning, but an innocent person, he wrote.
The verdict ended a multi-year streak of debate surrounding Sarkozy's 2007 campaign accused of receiving millions of euros from Libya leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was later overthrown and killed in the Arabian Spring movement.
The court determined that Mr. Sarkozy and his colleagues had planned to raise money, but there was no evidence that he directly received or used the money. He has always denied all violations and said that the case has political motives.
Sarkozy has filed a temporary amnesty pending an appeal, hoping to be released before Christmas, according to the attorney. He will initially be detained in the isolation area of La Sante prison, where each prisoner is kept in a separate room of 9 to 12 square meters, with a separate lotus tanna, a rental TV for 14 euros a month and a ban phone. Before going to prison, he said he would bring three books, including Alexandre Dumas's Ba d'ttttt Cristo - the story of a man wrongly convicted and taking revenge on a revenge.
The detention of a former president has caused a strong reaction in the French political world. Many allies of Mr. Sarkozy and the far-right have criticized him, saying that justice is being turned into a political tool.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Donald Darmanin and President Emmanuel Macron - who have a close relationship with Mr. Sarkozy and his wife - both confirmed that they have met or will visit him in prison, causing the left wing to accuse them of violating the principle of judicial independence.