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Nicolas Sarkozy will soon publish a personal account next month called Diary of a Prisoner, which recounts his time endured behind bars.

This news emerged shortly after the ex-leader left prison as he appeals his conviction on charges of criminal conspiracy connected to efforts to secure presidential race money linked to the leadership of former Libyan leader.

Time in Custody: Solitary Musings

“In prison one sees little, and nothing to do,” he notes in one passage, implying the memoir is more about his musings during isolation instead of wider commentary of the overcrowded and crisis-hit French prison system.

“Silence escapes me, which doesn’t exist in La Santé, where there is a lot to hear,” he continues. “The racket unfortunately never stops. Yet, similar to barren lands, inner life is fortified in prison.”

Court Appearance: Describing the Ordeal

While appealing for release, he had appeared by video link from inside the facility, describing his time inside as gruelling. He expressed in court: “I want to pay tribute to all the prison staff, displaying remarkable compassion, and who have made this ordeal tolerable – since it’s deeply troubling.”

“I didn’t expect that at 70 years of age, I’d find myself behind bars. It’s an ordeal that has been imposed on me. I confess it’s hard, deeply straining. It has an impact every inmate as it’s exhausting.”

First of Its Kind

He, the ex-head of state for a five-year term, was the first former head from the EU and the initial post-WWII figure of France to serve time in prison.

Prior to imprisonment he mentioned he planned to utilize the opportunity to compose an account.

Books in Prison

Unconfirmed is if he found the opportunity to review and analyze the volumes he had in his cell: a biography of Jesus in two parts plus the novel by Dumas the famous story, in which an innocent man ends up incarcerated then breaks out to exact retribution.

Prison Conditions

He was held secluded to protect him in a room of about nine sq metres with his own shower and toilet in the Paris jail in Paris. Guards stayed in the next cell.

Sources mentioned his diet consisted just yogurt during his stay due to concerns meals provided could have been tampered with. Although he had access for self-catering but he turned this down, according to reports. Not known is if he will detail what he ate in prison.

Legal Perspective

Sarkozy’s lawyer, who visited his client each day while he was in prison, told the release hearing he would be safer released than inside. “He received threats against his life, listened to yells during nighttime and the urgent intervention in a neighbouring cell during an inmate’s self-injury.”

Legal Proceedings

Sarkozy went to prison last month after a Paris court imposed a five-year sentence for criminal conspiracy related to a plan to secure election financing for his presidential bid.

He disputes the charges and is contesting the ruling, and a fresh trial set for the coming spring.