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Nicolas Sarkozy plans a book in the coming weeks called Diary of a Prisoner, detailing the period endured behind bars.

The announcement came less than two weeks after the ex-leader gained freedom as he contests the court ruling on charges of criminal conspiracy in a case to secure election campaign funds provided by the government of the late Libyan dictator.

Life Behind Bars: Inner Thoughts

“Inside jail one sees little, with little to occupy time,” he writes in one passage, indicating the account centers around his musings while in solitary confinement as opposed to wider commentary of the packed and troubled jail system in France.

“Silence escapes me, not present in that facility, where there is a lot to hear,” he states. “The din unfortunately never stops. But, just like the desert, personal reflection grows stronger behind bars.”

Court Appearance: Sharing the Struggle

While appealing for release, the former leader participated remotely from a room in prison, depicting prison life as draining. He had told the court: “I must acknowledge those working in the jail, showing great humanity, and who helped make this ordeal bearable – since it’s deeply troubling.”

“I didn’t expect that in my seventies, I would end up incarcerated. It’s a trial forced upon me. I admit it’s difficult, extremely tough. It has an impact every inmate as it’s exhausting.”

Historical Context

He, who served as France’s president from 2007 to 2012, became the inaugural former head from the EU and the initial post-WWII figure in the French Republic to experience jail.

Prior to imprisonment he declared he intended to spend the period for authoring a memoir.

Cell Library

It remains unclear if he found the opportunity to go through the three books he took into prison: a two-volume biography of Jesus and Alexandre Dumas’s novel the classic tale, where a wrongfully accused individual ends up incarcerated later flees to exact retribution.

Prison Conditions

He remained in solitary confinement for his own security in a cell approximately nine square meters featuring a personal bathroom at La Santé prison in Paris. Two bodyguards were stationed in an adjacent room.

It was stated that he had eaten just yogurt while inside due to concerns any food may have been contaminated. Options were available for self-catering yet he declined, according to reports. Not known is if he will detail what he ate in prison.

Lawyer’s Statements

The legal representative, who visited his client each day while he was in prison, informed the court he would be safer out of prison compared to inside. “There were death threats, has heard screaming after dark plus rapid actions next door when a prisoner self-harmed.”

Charges and Sentence

He entered custody last month when a Paris court imposed five years in prison on conspiracy charges over a scheme to secure election financing during his election campaign.

He disputes the charges and has appealed against the verdict, and a fresh trial planned for the coming spring.