Former French President Sarkozy Begins Writing Book in Prison

DID Press: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has begun writing a book on his first day in prison, his lawyer, Jean-Michel Darrois, said Tuesday.

Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, was convicted in a case involving alleged campaign finance violations tied to Libya. He was sentenced to five years in prison. He is serving his term at La Santé prison in Paris.

Darrois told BFMTV that Sarkozy “exercised and started writing his book” on his first day. He added that the former president is being held in a nine-square-meter cell where “there is constant noise” and described the initial day as “horrific, but he survived it.”

Sarkozy’s conviction marks a rare instance of a former French head of state receiving a prison sentence.