By Ebi Kesiena
France’s former president, Nicolas Sarkozy, is receiving round-the-clock protection in prison, with two police officers stationed in adjoining cells to ensure his safety, the interior minister confirmed on Wednesday.
Sarkozy began serving a five-year prison sentence on Tuesday after being convicted of conspiring to secure illegal campaign funding from Libya. His transfer to La Santé prison in Paris marked a remarkable fall for the 69-year-old who once held the country’s highest office between 2007 and 2012.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Europe 1 radio that the officers, part of the elite unit assigned to protect former heads of state, would be permanently positioned next to Sarkozy’s cell.
“The former president of the republic is entitled to protection because of his status. There is obviously a threat against him, and this protection is being maintained while he is in detention,” Nunez said.
He added that the arrangement would continue “as long as it is necessary”, with the officers working in shifts inside the facility. Reports from French media say the two are part of a rotating team responsible for safeguarding Sarkozy throughout his sentence.
The ex-president has been placed in La Santé’s isolation wing, where prisoners are kept in single cells and separated during outdoor periods to limit contact with others.
However, the presence of police within the prison walls has angered staff unions.
Nicolas Peyrin of the CGT union said the decision was unnecessary, arguing that prison guards were capable of maintaining inmate security. “There is no added value,” he told BFM television.
Hugo Vitry, another guard and head of the Force Ouvrière union’s local branch, complained that staff had not been briefed about the arrangement. “We have contacted the prison administration and the Ministry of Justice to demand explanations,” he said.
Sarkozy’s legal team has meanwhile requested an early release pending his appeal, which is expected to be heard within a month. His lawyers said they were optimistic he could be out of prison by Christmas.
Throughout the proceedings, Sarkozy has maintained his innocence, describing the conviction as politically motivated.
