Nicolas Sarkozy to Begin Imprisonment at Prison de la Santé on October 21
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will start his five-year prison sentence on October 21 at Prison de la Santé for illegal campaign financing linked to Libya, becoming the first EU head of state to serve prison time.
- • Nicolas Sarkozy will be incarcerated on October 21, 2025, for five years at Prison de la Santé.
- • He was sentenced for criminal association related to illegal funding from Libya in his 2007 campaign.
- • Despite appealing, he must begin his sentence immediately due to a deferred execution order.
- • He will likely be placed in isolation under ordinary conditions for security reasons.
Key details
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to begin serving a five-year prison sentence at the Prison de la Santé in Paris starting October 21, 2025. This imprisonment follows his conviction for criminal association in connection with the illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign by Libya's Muammar Gadhafi. Despite his appeal against the September 25 ruling, a deferred execution order mandates Sarkozy's immediate incarceration.
Sarkozy was sentenced for allowing his associates to seek illicit funds during his 2007 electoral campaign. He was officially informed of the incarceration date by Jean-François Bohnert, head of the national financial prosecutor's office, in a brief hearing. The exact detention conditions indicate that Sarkozy will likely be placed in isolation under an ordinary regime at the Prison de la Santé, designed to balance security concerns with confinement severity. Due to his former political status, Sarkozy will be housed in a vulnerable prisoner unit and may face isolation for security reasons.
Notably, this marks the first time a former French president and reportedly the first former European head of state will serve prison time. Public opinion appears divided but leans slightly in favor of his incarceration, with 61% considering it justified. While still presumed innocent pending his appeal, Sarkozy's defense team is expected to request his release. The court may take up to two months to rule on this request.
This unprecedented incarceration highlights the gravity with which French judicial authorities treat political corruption and illegal campaign financing. Sarkozy's case underscores the judiciary's strict stance on accountability, even for individuals at the highest levels of power in France and the European Union.