 "Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy faces death threats inside La Sante prison after starting his five-year sentence.")
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has reportedly been the target of death threats from an inmate at Paris’s La Sante prison, where he began serving his sentence earlier this week. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed on Wednesday that an investigation has been launched into the incident.
According to a statement released by the prosecutor’s office, the prison’s management alerted authorities on October 22 after discovering a video circulating on social media. The footage, apparently filmed inside the detention facility by an inmate, showed a man issuing threats directed at Sarkozy. The office said three prisoners were questioned as part of the preliminary inquiry, and investigators seized two mobile phones during a search of the cells.
Sarkozy, who served as France’s head of state from 2007 to 2012, started serving a five-year jail term on Tuesday following his conviction for conspiring to secure campaign funding from Libya during his 2007 election run. His case has drawn widespread attention as he becomes one of the few French presidents to serve a custodial sentence.
Due to security concerns surrounding his incarceration, Sarkozy has been placed under special protection inside La Sante prison. Two armed police officers have been assigned to ensure his safety during his sentence. However, this arrangement has stirred discontent among labour unions representing prison guards, who argue that the security measure creates an unequal treatment between inmates.
The investigation into the threats remains ongoing, while officials continue efforts to strengthen monitoring procedures within the facility. Sarkozy’s imprisonment marks another dramatic chapter in his long political and legal journey, which has been defined by years of corruption trials and public scrutiny over his financial conduct and political influence in France.