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The ex-president of France will soon publish a memoir next month named Diary of a Prisoner, detailing the period spent behind bars.

This news emerged shortly following Sarkozy left prison as he appeals the court ruling on charges of illegal collaboration regarding a scheme to secure presidential race money from the regime of former Libyan leader.

Time in Custody: Solitary Musings

“Inside jail there is nothing to see, and activities are scarce,” he reflects in one passage, indicating the book is more about his reflections from solitary confinement as opposed to extensive analysis of the strained and struggling jail system in France.

“Silence escapes me, which is missing at the prison, where one hears constant sound,” he states. “The noise is alas constant. Yet, similar to barren lands, personal reflection grows stronger in prison.”

Court Appearance: Sharing the Struggle

During his plea for freedom, Sarkozy had appeared via screen from his cell, depicting prison life as exhausting. He expressed in court: “I must acknowledge the correctional officers, showing great humanity, easing this nightmare tolerable – as it truly is one.”

“It never crossed my mind at this stage of life, I would end up incarcerated. It’s a hardship forced upon me. I confess it’s hard, extremely tough. It has an impact every inmate as it’s exhausting.”

Unprecedented Situation

The former president, who served as France’s president for a five-year term, set a precedent as past president from the EU and the first leader since WWII from France to experience jail.

Ahead of his incarceration he declared he intended to spend the period to compose an account.

Reading Material

It is not certain did he manage to go through the three books he brought with him: a life story of Jesus spanning two books together with Dumas’s work the famous story, in which an innocent man is sentenced to jail but escapes to exact retribution.

Daily Reality

He remained in isolation to protect him in a room roughly 100 square feet including private facilities at La Santé prison located in the capital. Guards occupied an adjacent room.

Sources mentioned that he consumed solely dairy snacks in prison because he feared any food could have been tampered with. Options were available for self-catering yet he declined, based on unnamed sources. Not known is if he will detail his dietary choices.

Legal Perspective

The legal representative, who saw him regularly daily throughout the jail term, stated during proceedings security would be better out of prison than inside. “There were death threats, listened to yells at night plus rapid actions in a neighbouring cell when a prisoner self-harmed.”

Legal Proceedings

His incarceration began last month when a French court sentenced him to a five-year sentence on conspiracy charges over a scheme to acquire campaign funds during his election campaign.

He denies wrongdoing and is contesting the ruling, with a new trial is scheduled for early next year.