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Nicolas Sarkozy will soon publish a memoir next month titled A Prisoner’s Diary, chronicling his experience spent behind bars.

This news was made less than two weeks after Sarkozy left prison as he contests the court ruling on charges of illegal collaboration regarding a scheme to obtain political financing linked to the leadership of former Libyan leader.

Time in Custody: Personal Reflections

“Inside jail there is nothing to see, and activities are scarce,” he notes in a preview, indicating the memoir will focus on his musings during isolation instead of a broader observation regarding the overcrowded and troubled correctional facilities in the country.

“Silence escapes me, which doesn’t exist in that facility, where noise is a lot to hear,” he states. “The din unfortunately never stops. But, just like the desert, inner life grows stronger while incarcerated.”

Freedom Plea: Recounting the Hardship

During his plea for freedom, the former leader participated via screen from inside the facility, depicting prison life as exhausting. He expressed in court: “I wish to commend the correctional officers, showing great humanity, and who helped make this nightmare bearable – since it’s deeply troubling.”

“It never crossed my mind that in my seventies, I’d find myself behind bars. It’s a hardship I must endure. I confess it’s hard, extremely tough. It affects one on any prisoner because it’s gruelling.”

Historical Context

The former president, the ex-head of state from 2007 to 2012, set a precedent as ex-leader of an EU country and the first leader since WWII from France to be incarcerated.

Ahead of his incarceration he had said he planned to utilize the opportunity to write a book.

Books in Prison

It remains unclear if he found the opportunity to go through the texts he took into prison: a two-volume biography of Jesus plus the novel by Dumas The Count of Monte Cristo, a plot where an innocent man is imprisoned but escapes to take revenge.

Life in Confinement

Sarkozy was held in solitary confinement for his own security in a space roughly 100 square feet including private facilities at La Santé prison in the city. Guards occupied the next cell.

Sources mentioned that he consumed just yogurt while inside worried that prison cuisine might have been spat on. Although he had access to prepare his own meals but refused this, based on unnamed sources. It is uncertain whether Sarkozy will write about his dietary choices.

Defense Viewpoint

His attorney, who visited his client every day throughout the jail term, informed the court his safety would improve outside jail compared to inside. “He has faced menacing messages, listened to yells during nighttime and emergency responses in an adjacent room as a detainee harmed themselves.”

Charges and Sentence

Sarkozy went to prison last month following a French court sentenced him to five years in prison on conspiracy charges related to a plan to secure political donations for his presidential bid.

He denies wrongdoing and has appealed against the verdict, with a new trial set for next spring.