🔗 Share this article The Former French President Set to Write Jail Diary Detailing Two Dozen Days In Custody Nicolas Sarkozy plans a personal account this autumn called Diary of a Prisoner, which recounts the period served in jail. This news emerged shortly after Sarkozy was released while he appeals his conviction related to unlawful coordination connected to efforts to secure election campaign funds from the leadership of former Libyan leader. Time in Custody: Personal Reflections “In prison there is nothing to see, with little to occupy time,” he writes in one passage, indicating the memoir centers around his reflections from seclusion instead of a broader observation of the overcrowded and struggling jail system in France. “Silence escapes me, which is missing in that facility, where one hears constant sound,” he continues. “The racket persists relentlessly. But, just like the desert, one’s inner world grows stronger while incarcerated.” Court Appearance: Sharing the Struggle At his release request hearing, he participated by video link from his cell, depicting prison life as draining. He had told the court: “I must acknowledge the correctional officers, showing great humanity, easing this difficult experience bearable – because it is a nightmare.” “It never crossed my mind at this stage of life, I’d be in prison. It’s an ordeal forced upon me. I confess it’s hard, deeply straining. It affects one on any prisoner due to its intensity.” First of Its Kind He, who served as France’s president from 2007 to 2012, set a precedent as ex-leader in the European Union and the first postwar leader from France to be incarcerated. Before entering jail he had said he would use his time to compose an account. Cell Library It remains unclear if he found the opportunity to review and analyze the texts he took into prison: a life story of Jesus spanning two books together with Dumas’s work the classic tale, a plot where an innocent man ends up incarcerated but escapes to exact retribution. Daily Reality The former leader was held secluded to protect him in a space roughly 100 square feet featuring a personal bathroom at La Santé prison located in the capital. Two bodyguards stayed in an adjacent room. It was stated that he consumed solely dairy snacks while inside because he feared meals provided might have been spat on. Options were available for self-catering but he turned this down, based on unnamed sources. It is uncertain whether Sarkozy will write about his dietary choices. Defense Viewpoint His attorney, who visited his client daily while he was in prison, informed the court security would be better released compared to inside. “There were threats against his life, has heard screaming after dark plus rapid actions next door as a detainee harmed themselves.” Charges and Sentence Sarkozy went to prison on 21 October after a Paris court imposed a half-decade term for illegal collaboration in connection with efforts to secure election financing for his presidential bid. He denies wrongdoing and has appealed against the verdict, and a fresh trial planned for next spring.