TÜRKİYE ORTA ASYA HABER KKUORDİNATÖRÜ

IFJ-INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF JOURNALIST IN COUNTRIES THAT BELIEVE IN DEMOCRACY AND THE RULE OF LAW, PRESIDENTS ALSO GO TO PRISON Former French President Sarkozy begins a 5-year prison sentence for campaign finance conspiracy PARIS (AP) — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy entered a prison in Paris on Tuesday to begin serving a 5-year sentence for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya — a historic moment that makes him the first ex-leader of modern France to be imprisoned. Sarkozy, 70, was greeted by hundreds of supporters when he walked out of his Paris home earlier in the day hand-in-hand with his wife, supermodel-turned-singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. He embraced her before getting into a police car. Minutes later, the vehicle passed through the gates of the notorious La Santé prison — where Sarkozy will now serve his sentence in solitary confinement. Sarkozy was convicted last month for criminal conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya. He contests both the conviction and a judge's unusual decision to incarcerate him pending appeal. His lawyers said Tuesday that they filed an immediate request for his release. A show of defiance “It's an ominous day for him, for France and for our institutions, because this incarceration is a disgrace,” Sarkozy's lawyer Jean-Michel Darrois told reporters soon after his incarceration. In a show of defiance and while on his way to the prison, Sarkozy released a statement on social media declaring that “an innocent man” was being locked up. “I will continue to denounce this judicial scandal,” he wrote. “The truth will prevail.” Sarkozy told Le Figaro newspaper that he would bring three books in prison — the maximum allowed — including Alexandre Dumas' “The Count of Monte Cristo,″ in which the hero escapes from an island prison before seeking revenge. He also picked a biography of Jesus Christ. "I'm not afraid of prison. I'll hold my head high, including in front of the doors of La Santé," he told La Tribune Dimanche newspaper last week. “I'll fight till the end.” Sarkozy has repeatedly said he is the victim of “a plot” staged by some people linked to the Libyan government and denounced the Sept. 25 verdicts as a “scandal.” solitary confinement People stand behind French flags with inscription reading "Courage Nicolas, come back soon", right, and "True France with Nicolas" outside former French President Nicolas Sarkozy's home, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 in Paris. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy heads to prison to serve time for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya. (AP Photo/Masha Macpherson) People stand behind French flags with inscription reading “Courage Nicolas, come back soon”, right, and “True France with Nicolas” outside former French President Nicolas Sarkozy's home, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 in Paris. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy heads to prison to serve time for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya. (AP Photo/Masha Macpherson) Sarkozy's lawyers said he will be kept away from all others prisoners for security reasons. They said he packed a bag with a few sweaters because the prison is cold and earplugs because it's noisy. Christophe Ingrain, another of Sarkozy's lawyers, denounced "a serious injustice." “It's a very difficult time, but the president has stood strong,” Ingrain said. “He doesn't complain, hasn't asked for anything, no special treatment.” Solitary confinement implies that Sarkozy will never see other inmates and will spend most of his time alone in his cell, Ingrain said. He will be allowed to go outdoors one hour per day alone in the prison yard and to get three visits per week from his family, Ingrain said, adding that he is planning to write a book about his prison experience. An outpouring of support for the ex-president Sarkozy's journey from the presidential Elysée Palace to La Santé prison has captivated France. After leaving their home, Sarkozy and his wife walked slowly to join family members, including his children and grandchildren, outside his home. “I'm very proud to share his name, and very proud of how he's reacting,” said his brother, Guillaume Sarkozy. “I'm truly convinced that he is innocent.” Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy reacts before entering a police car Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 in Paris as he heads to prison to serve time for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy reacts before entering a police car Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 in Paris as he heads to prison to serve time for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election ca