Defiant Sarkozy begins jail sentence as lawyer says he will be held in solitary confinement – Europe live

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has begun a five-year jail sentence at La Sante prison in Paris. He was convicted of criminal conspiracy over a plan to receive illegal campaign funding from the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi for his 2007 presidential election. Sarkozy maintains his innocence, calling his imprisonment a "judicial scandal" and a result of "revenge and hatred." Sarkozy, who served as president from 2007 to 2012, is the first former head of an EU country and the first French postwar leader to be jailed. His legal troubles have been ongoing since he lost his re-election bid in 2012, with this being his second conviction. Despite his appeals and claims of being wrongly imprisoned, the court ruled that his offenses were of "exceptional gravity" and ordered him to begin his sentence immediately, even before his appeal could be heard. His lawyer stated that Sarkozy will be held in solitary confinement for security reasons and that he is mentally prepared for this isolation, even packing sweaters and earplugs. Sarkozy has indicated he plans to write a book about his prison experience. The sentencing reflects a shift in France's approach to white-collar crime, as many convicted politicians in previous decades avoided prison. The news of Sarkozy's incarceration has drawn mixed reactions. While... download the app to read more