The French Ministry of the Interior confirmed on Oct. 22 that former President Nicolas Sarkozy will be assigned two security officers during his prison term. The officers will be stationed in the adjacent cell to provide close protection.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that Sarkozy is "eligible for protection" due to his status as a former president and because he "faces significant threats." He added, "The two officers will remain by his side as long as necessary."
Sarkozy served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. On Sept. 25, the Paris Criminal Court found him guilty of "conspiracy" for "allowing his associates and political supporters to seek funding from the Libyan government during the 2007 presidential campaign" and sentenced him to five years in prison. Sarkozy began serving his sentence at a Paris prison on Oct. 21.
According to Agence France-Presse, Sarkozy is held in a 9-square-meter single cell within a separate area of the prison to prevent contact with other inmates. He is allowed to leave his cell once a day for solitary walks and may receive visitors three times a week.
Wilfried Fonk, a representative of the prison guards' union, criticized the arrangement in an interview with RTL radio on Oct. 22, calling it an "insult" to his profession. Fonk remarked that the two officers "should not be in the prison" and are unfamiliar with prison operations, adding, "In my 25 years of service, I have never seen anything like this."
French media reported that Sarkozy has appealed the verdict, though the appeal does not suspend his sentence. His legal team has requested his release pending the appeal hearing, but it is estimated that he will remain in prison for at least "three weeks to a month."
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