What Awaits Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy Behind Bars

According toRokna, citing CNN, on October 21, the former head of state is expected to report to La Santé prison in Paris to begin serving his sentence. Once the heavy steel door of his cell closes behind him, Sarkozy will find himself in a place few would envy.

In September, a French court convicted Sarkozy of criminal conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 presidential campaign with illicit funds allegedly supplied by Libya, in exchange for diplomatic favors. He was sentenced to five years in prison, though he is likely to be released on parole after serving part of the term. Sarkozy has vowed to appeal the ruling, calling it a grave miscarriage of justice.

According to French media, the former president is expected to be housed either in solitary confinement or in the so-called “VIP wing” of La Santé — the only prison within Paris city limits. This section is reserved for inmates considered unsuitable for the general prison population, often for their own protection. It typically holds former politicians, police officers, far-right activists, or individuals linked to terrorist groups.

Located in the 14th arrondissement, opposite a retirement home, La Santé appears modest from the outside. Only the occasional siren betrays its true purpose. During winter, passersby can sometimes glimpse prisoners behind barred windows through leafless trees, while small packages are occasionally thrown over the prison wall — a rare connection between inmates and the outside world.