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Ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy has asserted that his period of incarceration has been “gruelling” and a “horrific experience” as he appeared via remote connection at a court hearing regarding his request to serve his sentence at home.

Legal Proceeding from Behind Bars

The former leader, wearing a navy blue suit, appeared on camera from jail on Monday, positioned at a desk with his lawyers beside him. He told the court: “I want to pay tribute to all the correctional officers, who are exceptionally humane, and who have eased this difficult situation – because it is a horrific experience.”

Context of the Case

The former president was admitted to the correctional facility in Paris on 21 October, after receiving a five-year jail sentence for illegal collaboration over a scheme to obtain funds for his election bid from the government of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

He has appealed against the ruling, but the court ruled that because of the “serious nature” of his guilty verdict, he had to be incarcerated while the appeals process took its course.

Historical Significance

The former leader, who served as France’s rightwing president between 2007 and 2012, is the first former head of an EU country to be imprisoned in prison, and the initial leader since WWII to go behind bars.

Personal Statement

Sarkozy told the court from prison: “I never had any idea or desire to ask Mr Gaddafi for any kind of financing … I will not admit to something I am innocent of … I could not have foreseen that at 70 years of age, I’d be in prison. It’s an ordeal that has been imposed on me. I confess it’s difficult, it’s very hard. It leaves a mark on any prisoner because it’s exhausting.”

He said he would not try to communicate with any defendants or testifiers in the case. He said: “I’m French, I love my country, my family is in France. This situation has caused them pain a lot.”

Defense Lawyers Comments

Sarkozy’s lawyer Jean-Michel Darrois, positioned beside him in the remote connection facility, stated: “Being in isolation has been very hard for him.” He commented on Sarkozy: “He’s a resilient, robust and courageous man and this imprisonment has been very painful for him.”

In court, a different legal representative, Christophe Ingrain, who had visited him every day, asserted Sarkozy would be safer out of prison than inside. “He has faced death threats, has heard screaming at night and the emergency response in a neighbouring cell when a prisoner injured themselves,” he said.

Current Status

The public attorney Damien Brunet asked that Sarkozy’s petition for freedom be granted. The court will reveal its ruling on Monday afternoon.

Incarceration Details

The former president has been placed in isolation for his own safety, in an individual cell of about 9 sq metres, with his own washing facility and restroom. Security personnel are stationed nearby to protect him.

Accounts suggested that he had been consuming solely yogurt in prison as he was concerned any meal might have been contaminated. He had been offered the facilities to cook for himself but refused this.

Support from the Public

Sarkozy’s social media account last week shared a recording of piles of letters, postcards and parcels it said had been sent to him, including a collage, a sweet treat and a book. “No letter will go unanswered,” his account announced. “The final chapter has not yet been written.”

Items in Prison

Sarkozy brought with him a life story of Christ as well as the classic novel, the famous work in which an innocent man is sentenced to jail but breaks out to seek retribution.

Legal Proceedings Details

During the lengthy court case, the state attorney had told the court that Sarkozy entered into a “corrupt agreement” of corruption with one of the most unspeakable dictators of the last 30 years.

The accused denied wrongdoing and stated he had not been part of a illegal scheme to seek election funding from Libya.

He was found not guilty of three distinct accusations of dishonesty, improper handling of state money and unlawful political financing. After the public attorney also challenged these not guilty verdicts, Sarkozy will be re-tried on all the accusations next year, including criminal conspiracy.

Prior Legal Issues

Although the allegations of a secret campaign funding pact with the Libyan regime formed the most significant legal case Sarkozy had faced, he had already been convicted in two separate cases and lost France’s highest distinction, the Légion d’honneur.

The former president had previously become the first former French head of state forced to wear an monitoring device after being convicted in a different matter of dishonesty and improper sway. In that case, he was given a 12-month sentence but was able to serve it with an electronic tag worn around the ankle. He wore the tag for three months before being granted conditional release.