Former French President Sarkozy begins a 5-year prison sentence for campaign finance conspiracy

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy began serving a five-year prison sentence for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya at La Santé prison in Paris on Tuesday. The conviction was made public last month, and Sarkozy contests both the conviction and the judge's decision to incarcerate him pending appeal. His lawyers filed an immediate request for his release, citing it as a "serious injustice." Sarkozy will be held in solitary confinement due to security concerns and will have limited contact with family members. He has expressed defiance, releasing a statement on social media calling himself an "innocent man" locked up. The imprisonment marks the first time a former French president has been incarcerated while in office.

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