Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has declared that he is unafraid of imprisonment as he prepares to begin his five-year jail term.
The former leader, expected to be taken to Paris’s Sante Prison on Tuesday, told La Tribune Dimanche that he had already packed his belongings and was approaching the moment with composure.
Sarkozy’s sentence follows his conviction for allegedly soliciting campaign funds from Libya during his 2007 presidential run.
“I’m not afraid of prison. I will face it with my head held high, even at the gates of Sante,” he said, emphasizing that he would not seek any special treatment.
According to the newspaper, the ex-president will be kept in solitary confinement due to security concerns. He is to be housed on the top floor of the isolation wing, separated from other inmates, and constantly accompanied by a prison officer.
Despite the restrictions, Sarkozy will be allowed two daily visits to one of the prison’s gyms or exercise yards. His wife, Italian supermodel Carla Bruni, is expected to visit him every day throughout his sentence.
Rejecting sympathy, Sarkozy said he intends to make the most of his time behind bars by writing a book.
Sarkozy, who governed France from 2007 to 2012, was convicted of criminal conspiracy after investigators found that his team allegedly sought millions in illegal funds from the regime of Libya’s late ruler, Muammar Gaddafi, to finance his 2007 campaign.
Although he has consistently maintained his innocence and is appealing the verdict, the case marks the first time a former French president has been convicted of attempting to secure foreign campaign financing.
Sarkozy, who lost his re-election bid in 2012, denied all allegations during the three-month trial earlier this year, which also involved 11 co-defendants, including three of his former ministers.
