The Former French President to Pen Jail Diary Chronicling Three Weeks In Custody
The ex-president of France will soon publish a book this autumn named Diary of a Prisoner, chronicling his experience served in jail.
This news came less than two weeks after the former president left prison while he appeals the guilty verdict on charges of unlawful coordination connected to efforts to obtain presidential race money from the government of Muammar Gaddafi.
Time in Custody: Solitary Musings
“Inside jail there is nothing to see, with little to occupy time,” he reflects in an extract, suggesting the book is more about his thoughts during solitary confinement rather than a broader observation on the strained and crisis-hit jail system in France.
“Quiet is absent, which is missing in La Santé, where there is endless commotion,” he states. “The din persists relentlessly. However, akin to empty spaces, inner life is fortified while incarcerated.”
Court Appearance: Sharing the Struggle
During his plea for freedom, Sarkozy participated via screen from a room in prison, characterizing his incarceration as gruelling. He stated to the judge: “I want to pay tribute the correctional officers, displaying remarkable compassion, and who have made this nightmare tolerable – since it’s deeply troubling.”
“I didn’t expect that at 70 years of age, I’d be in prison. It’s a hardship I must endure. I confess it’s hard, extremely tough. It leaves a mark every inmate as it’s exhausting.”
First of Its Kind
He, who served as France’s president from 2007 to 2012, set a precedent as past president of an EU country and the first postwar leader in the French Republic to experience jail.
Prior to imprisonment he had said he intended to spend the period to write a book.
Cell Library
Unconfirmed is whether he had time to go through the three books he took into prison: a two-volume biography of Jesus and Alexandre Dumas’s novel the classic tale, where an innocent man is imprisoned later flees to take revenge.
Daily Reality
He was held secluded to protect him in a cell roughly 100 square feet with his own shower and toilet at the correctional facility in the city. Security personnel stayed in the next cell.
Reports indicated that he had eaten just yogurt during his stay due to concerns any food could have been tampered with. Options were available to cook for himself yet he declined, as per accounts. Not known is if the memoir includes his dietary choices.
Legal Perspective
His attorney, Christophe Ingrain each day throughout the jail term, informed the court he would be safer out of prison compared to inside. “He received death threats, has heard screaming after dark and emergency responses next door as a detainee harmed themselves.”
Case Background
His incarceration began on 21 October when the judiciary sentenced him to a five-year sentence for illegal collaboration in connection with efforts to secure election financing during his election campaign.
He denies wrongdoing challenging the decision, and another court case planned for early next year.
