Nicolas Sarkozy went to prison: what does the place look like, where Putin's friend will serve his term

In the morning, when they arrived at his home to deliver him to the place of serving his term, Sarkozy, leaving accompanied by his wife, waved to supporters, who applauded him. The former president, who left office in 2012, has appealed the sentence but is expected to be held in either solitary confinement or the so-called "VIP wing" of the La Sante prison complex until then.

This wing is usually reserved for inmates who are deemed unsuitable for inclusion in the general prison population, usually due to concerns for their safety. There are politicians, ex-policemen, members of far-right organizations or people associated with Islamist terrorist groups. After arriving at the prison, Sarkozy wrote to X: "As I prepare to enter the walls of the La Sante prison, I think of French people of all walks of life and persuasion.

I want to tell them with all my steadfast strength that this morning it is not the former president of the Republic who is behind bars, but an innocent man. " The ex-president assured that he "will continue to condemn this judicial scandal", but added that he does not need to feel sorry, "because my wife and children are by my side, and I have countless friends".

At the same time, in Sarkozy's message, it is said that he feels "deep sorrow for France, which is humiliated by the manifestation of revenge, which has brought hatred to an unprecedented level. " According to one of the politician's defenders, Christoph Ingrain, the team of lawyers requested his early release from prison. The court has two months to decide whether to grant the request.

As you know, after finding Sarkozy guilty of criminal conspiracy, the court acquitted him on three other charges, including passive corruption, illegal financing of an election campaign and concealment of embezzlement of public funds. He was sentenced to five years in prison.

La Sante (translated literally means "Health") is a legendary prison in the center of Paris, where the international terrorist from Venezuela Carlos Jackal (Illich Ramírez Sánchez) and the Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega were once held, writes Reuters. Sarkozy will be held in solitary confinement in one of the most heavily guarded prisons in France.

At his disposal, in addition to a single room, there is a courtyard and a room for classes, said the director of the prison administration, Sébastien Kovel. The Ministry of Justice of France and the institution's administration do not disclose any more information about the new prisoner to journalists. However, it is known that the location of the penitentiary facility will allow friends and relatives of Sarkozy to visit it without problems.

Justice Minister Gérald Darmanen, Sarkozy's protégé who currently oversees the penitentiary system, has already assured that he will visit his friend behind bars. Inmates in the "VIP wing" are kept in single cells rather than the usual three-bed cells, and for security reasons are allowed to be alone during walks.

According to the Inspector General of Prisons' 2020 report, the solitary cells in the separate wing are 9 square meters in size and the windows are screened to limit communication between inmates. La Sante prison has recently been renovated, so conditions are better than in many other prisons, according to Julien Fischmeister of the French branch of the International Prison Observatory. All cells now have their own showers and landlines.

Sarkozy will also have access to a TV, but will have to pay 14 euros a month for this privilege. The former president will receive food delivery, and the prison also allows inmates to buy food for self-catering in their cells. Like many prisons in France, La Sante is overcrowded, although Sarkozy will be held separately from other inmates. According to the Ministry of Justice, as of August, the prison, designed for 657 people, held 1,243 prisoners.

During his tenure as head of state, Nicolas Sarkozy was called Putin's voice in Europe. Even after his resignation, he supported Russia. For example, in August 2023, Sarkozy criticized the idea of ​​deoccupying Crimea. According to the former president of France, the majority of the population on the peninsula "still consider themselves Russian. " And a referendum under the supervision of the international community is needed to "confirm the real state of affairs.

" Sarkozy believes that if referendums are not held and the occupied territories are not annexed to Russia, the conflict in Ukraine will become "frozen". The former French president also said that Ukraine should become a "bridge" between Europe and Russia. According to him, Ukraine's neutrality could be ensured by an international agreement that provides extremely strong security guarantees. Sarkozy also added that Europe makes "false promises that are not fulfilled" to Kyiv.