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The ex-president of France will soon publish a personal account next month called A Prisoner’s Diary, which recounts his time endured in custody.

The revelation came shortly after the ex-leader left prison as he contests his conviction related to criminal conspiracy regarding a scheme to obtain presidential race money provided by the regime of the late Libyan dictator.

Prison Experience: Personal Reflections

“Inside jail one sees little, and nothing to do,” he notes in a preview, suggesting the book is more about his thoughts while in seclusion as opposed to extensive analysis regarding the overcrowded and troubled correctional facilities in the country.

“I forget silence, which is missing in that facility, where noise is constant sound,” he adds. “The racket unfortunately never stops. However, akin to empty spaces, inner life is strengthened in prison.”

Release Hearing: Describing the Ordeal

At his release request hearing, Sarkozy participated by video link from inside the facility, characterizing his incarceration as draining. He expressed in court: “I must acknowledge to all the prison staff, displaying remarkable compassion, and who helped make this nightmare bearable – since it’s deeply troubling.”

“I never imagined that at 70 years of age, I’d be in prison. It’s an ordeal that has been imposed on me. It’s challenging, I acknowledge, it’s very hard. It leaves a mark every inmate as it’s exhausting.”

Historical Context

The former president, the ex-head of state from 2007 to 2012, set a precedent as ex-leader of an EU country and the first leader since WWII in the French Republic to serve time in prison.

Ahead of his incarceration he declared he intended to spend the period for authoring a memoir.

Books in Prison

It remains unclear whether he had time to read and critique the texts he had in his cell: a life story of Jesus spanning two books plus the novel by Dumas the classic tale, a plot where a blameless person is sentenced to jail but escapes to take revenge.

Daily Reality

Sarkozy was held in isolation for his own security in a room approximately nine square meters including private facilities in the Paris jail in Paris. Guards occupied an adjacent room.

Reports indicated his diet consisted just yogurt in prison due to concerns prison cuisine could have been tampered with. Options were available for self-catering but he turned this down, based on unnamed sources. Not known is if he will detail meals during incarceration.

Defense Viewpoint

His attorney, who saw him regularly every day while he was in prison, informed the court his safety would improve outside jail than inside. “He received death threats, heard shouts during nighttime plus rapid actions in a neighbouring cell during an inmate’s self-injury.”

Case Background

He entered custody last month when the judiciary sentenced him to a five-year sentence on conspiracy charges over a scheme to obtain election financing during his election campaign.

He denies wrongdoing and has appealed against the verdict, and a fresh trial set for next spring.