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The ex-president of France is preparing a book next month titled Diary of a Prisoner, chronicling the period spent in custody.

The announcement was made shortly after the ex-leader gained freedom as he contests the guilty verdict related to criminal conspiracy in a case to secure election campaign funds from the government of Muammar Gaddafi.

Time in Custody: Solitary Musings

“Behind bars there is nothing to see, and nothing to do,” he notes in an extract, indicating the memoir is more about his musings during seclusion rather than a broader observation regarding the overcrowded and crisis-hit jail system in France.

“Silence escapes me, not present at the prison, where noise is a lot to hear,” he continues. “The racket is alas constant. Yet, similar to barren lands, inner life grows stronger while incarcerated.”

Release Hearing: Describing the Ordeal

While appealing for release, Sarkozy was present by video link from inside the facility, describing his time inside as gruelling. He had told the court: “I must acknowledge to all the prison staff, showing great humanity, easing this nightmare manageable – because it is a nightmare.”

“It never crossed my mind at this stage of life, I’d find myself behind bars. It’s a hardship forced upon me. I confess it’s hard, deeply straining. It has an impact on any prisoner because it’s gruelling.”

Historical Context

The former president, who served as France’s president between 2007 and 2012, became the inaugural past president of an EU country and the first postwar leader in the French Republic to be incarcerated.

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

Books in Prison

Unconfirmed is did he manage to read and critique the volumes he took into prison: a life story of Jesus spanning two books together with Dumas’s work the classic tale, where a wrongfully accused individual is imprisoned then breaks out to take revenge.

Daily Reality

Sarkozy remained in solitary confinement to protect him in a space approximately nine square meters with his own shower and toilet at the correctional facility in the city. Security personnel occupied a neighbouring cell.

Sources mentioned that he consumed just yogurt during his stay due to concerns prison cuisine may have been contaminated. Options were available for self-catering but refused this, based on unnamed sources. Unclear remains if he will detail his dietary choices.

Lawyer’s Statements

Sarkozy’s lawyer, who visited his client every day during the incarceration, informed the court he would be safer outside jail rather than in custody. “There were death threats, listened to yells at night and the urgent intervention in an adjacent room when a prisoner self-harmed.”

Case Background

Sarkozy went to prison on 21 October when a French court gave him a half-decade term on conspiracy charges over a scheme to secure election financing during his election campaign.

He denies wrongdoing challenging the decision, with a new trial is scheduled for early next year.