France’s former President Nicolas Sarkozy has begun serving his five-year prison sentence under special protection arrangements, with two bodyguards assigned to guard him in prison.
The country’s Interior Minister, Laurent Nunez, confirmed that the measure was taken due to the former leader’s status and ongoing security threats against him.
Nunez explained that the bodyguards will be positioned in neighbouring cells within La Santé Prison in Paris, where Sarkozy is currently serving his sentence. He noted that the decision to deploy the security officers was in line with France’s protocol for protecting former heads of state even while in custody. “It’s a protection arrangement given his status and the threats against him that has indeed been maintained in detention,” Nunez said.
Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, was convicted of criminal conspiracy and found guilty of receiving illegal campaign funding from the regime of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi during his 2007 presidential campaign. The former president reported to La Santé Prison earlier this week, marking a dramatic moment in French political history.
According to local reports, Sarkozy is being held in a secure isolation unit where he will have minimal contact with other inmates. His cell is said to measure about nine square metres, and he will serve his term under strict supervision. Sources close to the prison authority revealed that the officers assigned to him belong to the elite team responsible for protecting former presidents.
However, the decision to place civilian officers inside a prison facility has drawn criticism from prison unions. A representative of the guards’ union reportedly said, “We’ve got two civilians inside a prison who shouldn’t be there. We’re being told we don’t know how to do our jobs.” The criticism has sparked public debate in France about special privileges granted to high-profile convicts.
Sarkozy’s imprisonment follows years of legal battles and multiple corruption charges. Despite his conviction, the former president has continued to maintain his innocence and insists that the case against him is politically motivated. The French government, however, maintains that his security remains a priority given his former role and the sensitive nature of his case.
