TERESA SUAREZ/EPA
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced to five years in prison for receiving funds from the regime of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
He is the first former French president to be effectively imprisoned. Sarkozy today expresses “deep sadness for France”.
The former French President, Nicolas Sarkozyentered La Santé prison in Paris this Tuesday to serve a five-year sentence, reiterated that he is innocent and that the truth will triumph.
Through a message posted on social media, which was published moments before entering the Paris jail, Nicolas Sarkozy, 70, said that is “being closed” in prison.
On the other hand, Sarkozy also wrote that he feels “deep sadness for Francewho finds herself humiliated by the expression of revenge that raised hatred to an unprecedented level.” The former President also stated that the “price to be paid is crushing”, but did not specify the content of the statement.
Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at the prison at 9:40 am (8:40 am in Lisbon), where he was greeted by a crowd. According to Agence France Presse, Nicolas Sarkozy’s lawyers must present a request for release of the former President who appealed the sentence.
Meanwhile, Sarkozy must occupy a solitary cell, in the “VIP wing” of La Santé prison, specially reserved for prisoners who would be in exceptional danger if placed among the rest of the prisoners. He adds that this wing may include politicians, former police officers or members of political or terrorist organizations.
The sentence was on September 25th. Sarkozy was the 23rd President of France, having held the position between 2007 and 2012 and was sentenced to five years in prison for Financing the election campaign with funds from the Libyan regime of Muammar Gaddafi.
