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Nicolas Sarkozy plans a book next month named A Prisoner’s Diary, which recounts his experience endured behind bars.

The announcement came just 11 days after the ex-leader gained freedom as he appeals the court ruling for unlawful coordination regarding a scheme to acquire political financing linked to the government of former Libyan leader.

Time in Custody: Solitary Musings

“In prison one sees little, and nothing to do,” he writes in an extract, suggesting the memoir centers around his musings during seclusion rather than a broader observation regarding the strained and crisis-hit French prison system.

“I forget silence, which doesn’t exist in La Santé, where there is endless commotion,” he adds. “The racket is alas constant. But, just like the desert, one’s inner world grows stronger in prison.”

Release Hearing: Sharing the Struggle

During his plea for freedom, he was present by video link from inside the facility, describing his time inside as gruelling. He stated to the judge: “I want to pay tribute the correctional officers, showing great humanity, and who helped make this nightmare manageable – as it truly is one.”

“I didn’t expect that in my seventies, I would end up incarcerated. It’s a hardship I must endure. I admit it’s difficult, deeply straining. It affects one every inmate due to its intensity.”

Historical Context

He, who led the nation between 2007 and 2012, was the first ex-leader in the European Union and the first leader since WWII in the French Republic to be incarcerated.

Ahead of his incarceration he had said he would use his time to write a book.

Reading Material

It is not certain if he found the opportunity to read and critique the volumes he brought with him: a life story of Jesus spanning two books and Alexandre Dumas’s novel The Count of Monte Cristo, in which an innocent man is imprisoned then breaks out to seek vengeance.

Prison Conditions

Sarkozy was held secluded to protect him in a cell of about nine sq metres featuring a personal bathroom at the correctional facility in the city. Security personnel stayed in a neighbouring cell.

Reports indicated that he had eaten only yoghurts during his stay due to concerns meals provided might have been spat on. He had facilities to prepare his own meals but he turned this down, according to reports. It is uncertain whether Sarkozy will write about his dietary choices.

Defense Viewpoint

Sarkozy’s lawyer, who saw him regularly daily during the incarceration, told the release hearing he would be safer out of prison rather than in custody. “There were menacing messages, heard shouts after dark plus rapid actions in an adjacent room during an inmate’s self-injury.”

Case Background

His incarceration began in late October after the judiciary sentenced him to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy related to a plan to secure election financing for his 2007 presidential race.

He disputes the charges and has appealed against the verdict, with a new trial set for the coming spring.