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The ex-president of France will soon publish a memoir in the coming weeks named Diary of a Prisoner, which recounts the period spent in custody.

The revelation was made less than two weeks following Sarkozy was released while he contests his conviction related to criminal conspiracy in a case to obtain election campaign funds linked to the regime of the late Libyan dictator.

Life Behind Bars: Personal Reflections

“In prison one sees little, with little to occupy time,” he notes in a preview, indicating the book centers around his thoughts while in seclusion rather than wider commentary regarding the strained and crisis-hit correctional facilities in the country.

“Silence escapes me, not present at the prison, where one hears constant sound,” he adds. “The racket persists relentlessly. Yet, similar to barren lands, one’s inner world grows stronger behind bars.”

Release Hearing: Recounting the Hardship

During his plea for freedom, Sarkozy participated remotely from inside the facility, describing his time inside as gruelling. He had told the court: “I wish to commend the correctional officers, showing great humanity, easing this ordeal tolerable – because it is a nightmare.”

“It never crossed my mind at this stage of life, I’d be in prison. It’s a hardship forced upon me. It’s challenging, I acknowledge, it’s very hard. It leaves a mark on any prisoner as it’s exhausting.”

Unprecedented Situation

Sarkozy, who led the nation for a five-year term, became the inaugural past president of an EU country and the initial post-WWII figure from France to serve time in prison.

Prior to imprisonment he mentioned he intended to spend the period to write a book.

Books in Prison

Unconfirmed is did he manage to review and analyze the three books he took into prison: a life story of Jesus spanning two books plus the novel by Dumas The Count of Monte Cristo, where a wrongfully accused individual is sentenced to jail then breaks out to seek vengeance.

Prison Conditions

Sarkozy was held in isolation due to safety concerns in a cell of about nine sq metres featuring a personal bathroom at La Santé prison in Paris. Guards were stationed in a neighbouring cell.

It was stated his diet consisted just yogurt while inside due to concerns meals provided could have been tampered with. Although he had access for self-catering yet he declined, as per accounts. Not known is if he will detail what he ate in prison.

Lawyer’s Statements

His attorney, Christophe Ingrain each day during the incarceration, told the release hearing his safety would improve released compared to inside. “There were death threats, heard shouts after dark plus rapid actions in an adjacent room during an inmate’s self-injury.”

Case Background

His incarceration began last month after a French court imposed five years in prison for criminal conspiracy related to a plan to obtain campaign funds during his election campaign.

He disputes the charges and has appealed against the verdict, with a new trial set for early next year.