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The ex-president of France will soon publish a book this autumn called A Prisoner’s Diary, detailing the period spent in jail.

The revelation came just 11 days following Sarkozy left prison while his appeal proceeds his conviction on charges of illegal collaboration regarding a scheme to secure presidential race money linked to the regime of former Libyan leader.

Life Behind Bars: Solitary Musings

“Behind bars there is nothing to see, and activities are scarce,” he writes in an extract, implying the account centers around his musings from isolation instead of a broader observation regarding the overcrowded and troubled correctional facilities in the country.

“I forget silence, which is missing in La Santé, where one hears a lot to hear,” he adds. “The noise unfortunately never stops. Yet, similar to barren lands, inner life is fortified in prison.”

Court Appearance: Sharing the Struggle

At his release request hearing, Sarkozy had appeared via screen from inside the facility, describing his time inside as gruelling. He had told the court: “I must acknowledge those working in the jail, who are exceptionally humane, easing this nightmare bearable – since it’s deeply troubling.”

“I didn’t expect that at 70 years of age, I’d find myself behind bars. It’s an ordeal forced upon me. It’s challenging, I acknowledge, extremely tough. It leaves a mark every inmate due to its intensity.”

Historical Context

The former president, the ex-head of state for a five-year term, became the inaugural ex-leader in the European Union and the first postwar leader in the French Republic to serve time in prison.

Ahead of his incarceration he had said he would use his time to compose an account.

Reading Material

It is not certain did he manage to go through the texts he brought with him: a biography of Jesus in two parts plus the novel by Dumas The Count of Monte Cristo, a plot where an innocent man is sentenced to jail then breaks out to take revenge.

Daily Reality

Sarkozy was held in isolation to protect him in a room of about nine sq metres featuring a personal bathroom in the Paris jail located in the capital. Guards stayed in the next cell.

Sources mentioned his diet consisted solely dairy snacks while inside because he feared prison cuisine may have been contaminated. Options were available for self-catering but he turned this down, as per accounts. It is uncertain whether Sarkozy will write about what he ate in prison.

Legal Perspective

The legal representative, who saw him regularly every day while he was in prison, informed the court he would be safer released rather than in custody. “There were death threats, listened to yells after dark plus rapid actions in an adjacent room when a prisoner self-harmed.”

Case Background

Sarkozy went to prison on 21 October following a French court gave him five years in prison for illegal collaboration in connection with efforts to obtain campaign funds during his election campaign.

He maintains his innocence and is contesting the ruling, with a new trial planned for the coming spring.