The Nicolas Sarkozy is spending today on his first day in prison in La Sante prison in the French capital, where he is serving a five-year sentence for conspiracy to finance his election campaign with money from Muammar Gaddafi.

Sarkozy, who was president of France from 2007 to 2012, has appealed the sentence.

At the same time, prisoners from their cells shouted “welcome Sarkozy!” upon seeing him, according to the French News Agency (AFP).

His entry into prison on Tuesday morning is the start of a new reality for the former French president. According to Le Figaro, for Sarkozy, after a difficult first night, his daily routine as a prisoner will begin with breakfast, where there is no traditional meal tray but only bread and jam delivered the night before.

Between meals, activities are limited due to security rules. Sarkozy will have access to the gym, the library and the courtyard, all with limited time and no company except for the guards.

In terms of communicating with the outside world, he will be able to call his own people, with call costs that can reach 110 euros for 20 minutes. The number of contacts is not limited, but requires approval from the prosecutor’s office. At the same time, the Sante prison guarantees that it will not be monitored unless there are security reasons. At the same time, he will have three visits a week, for one hour at a time.

Recall that Sarkozy was found guilty on September 25 of allowing his two closest associates at the Interior Ministry to start talks in Tripoli aimed at secretly financing his 2007 election campaign from Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya, which nevertheless did not materialize, according to the judiciary. He denies having committed any offence and describes the case against him as politically motivated.

He has filed a request for release

Notably, Sarkozy immediately filed a request for release, one of his lawyers, Christophe Ingres, told reporters.

His imprisonment is a “disgrace”, the lawyer added. The judiciary has two months to rule on the former head of state’s request. If the judiciary rules in favor, Sarkozy could be out of jail before Christmas.

According to BFMTV, Sarkozy’s request for release will be considered under different criteria than those that led to his initial imprisonment. The request will be considered in light of whether his stay in prison is the only way to avoid pressure, flight, repeat offences or a risk to his safety. If no such risks arise, Sarkozy should be released, possibly with restrictive conditions such as home confinement with a bracelet.