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Nicolas Sarkozy will soon publish a personal account in the coming weeks called A Prisoner’s Diary, which recounts his time endured behind bars.

The revelation was made less than two weeks following the former president left prison while his appeal proceeds the guilty verdict on charges of criminal conspiracy in a case to obtain political financing from the government of former Libyan leader.

Time in Custody: Personal Reflections

“Behind bars there is nothing to see, and nothing to do,” he reflects in an extract, implying the account will focus on his thoughts during isolation instead of extensive analysis on the packed and troubled correctional facilities in the country.

“Quiet is absent, not present in La Santé, where one hears a lot to hear,” he adds. “The racket unfortunately never stops. Yet, similar to barren lands, one’s inner world grows stronger behind bars.”

Release Hearing: Sharing the Struggle

During his plea for freedom, he was present by video link from his cell, describing his time inside as gruelling. He expressed in court: “I wish to commend those working in the jail, displaying remarkable compassion, and who helped make this nightmare bearable – as it truly is one.”

“It never crossed my mind that at 70 years of age, I’d find myself behind bars. It’s an ordeal I must endure. It’s challenging, I acknowledge, deeply straining. It leaves a mark every inmate as it’s exhausting.”

First of Its Kind

Sarkozy, who served as France’s president from 2007 to 2012, became the inaugural ex-leader from the EU and the first leader since WWII from France to experience jail.

Before entering jail he declared he would use his time to compose an account.

Cell Library

It is not certain whether he had time to go through the volumes he took into prison: a biography of Jesus in two parts plus the novel by Dumas the famous story, in which an innocent man is sentenced to jail then breaks out to exact retribution.

Daily Reality

The former leader was held in isolation for his own security in a cell of about nine sq metres with his own shower and toilet in the Paris jail in the city. Security personnel occupied the next cell.

Reports indicated that he had eaten just yogurt in prison due to concerns prison cuisine could have been tampered with. Although he had access to prepare his own meals but refused this, based on unnamed sources. Unclear remains if he will detail his dietary choices.

Legal Perspective

His attorney, who visited his client every day during the incarceration, told the release hearing his safety would improve released rather than in custody. “He received death threats, listened to yells after dark plus rapid actions in an adjacent room when a prisoner self-harmed.”

Legal Proceedings

His incarceration began in late October after the judiciary gave him a five-year sentence for illegal collaboration over a scheme to obtain campaign funds during his election campaign.

He disputes the charges challenging the decision, and another court case planned for the coming spring.