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Nicolas Sarkozy is preparing a memoir this autumn titled Diary of a Prisoner, which recounts the period spent in custody.

The announcement was made shortly after the ex-leader was released while he appeals the court ruling related to unlawful coordination in a case to secure election campaign funds provided by the leadership of the late Libyan dictator.

Time in Custody: Inner Thoughts

“In prison one sees little, and activities are scarce,” he reflects in an extract, implying the memoir will focus on his reflections while in seclusion rather than a broader observation of the overcrowded and crisis-hit correctional facilities in the country.

“Quiet is absent, not present in La Santé, where noise is constant sound,” he states. “The racket is alas constant. Yet, similar to barren lands, personal reflection grows stronger in prison.”

Freedom Plea: Sharing the Struggle

While appealing for release, Sarkozy had appeared remotely from a room in prison, describing his time inside as exhausting. He stated to the judge: “I wish to commend the correctional officers, who are exceptionally humane, and who have made this nightmare tolerable – because it is a nightmare.”

“I didn’t expect at this stage of life, I’d find myself behind bars. It’s a trial I must endure. I confess it’s hard, extremely tough. It affects one all who experience it due to its intensity.”

First of Its Kind

He, who led the nation for a five-year term, set a precedent as past president from the EU and the first postwar leader in the French Republic to be incarcerated.

Ahead of his incarceration he had said he intended to spend the period to compose an account.

Books in Prison

It remains unclear did he manage to go through the three books he had in his cell: a life story of Jesus spanning two books plus the novel by Dumas The Count of Monte Cristo, in which a blameless person is imprisoned then breaks out to exact retribution.

Life in Confinement

The former leader was held secluded due to safety concerns in a room approximately nine square meters including private facilities in the Paris jail in Paris. Two bodyguards occupied the next cell.

Reports indicated his diet consisted only yoghurts in prison because he feared any food may have been contaminated. Although he had access to cook for himself but refused this, as per accounts. Unclear remains whether Sarkozy will write about what he ate in prison.

Defense Viewpoint

Sarkozy’s lawyer, Christophe Ingrain daily throughout the jail term, informed the court security would be better released than inside. “There were threats against his life, heard shouts at night and emergency responses in a neighbouring cell as a detainee harmed themselves.”

Legal Proceedings

Sarkozy went to prison last month following a Paris court gave him five years in prison for criminal conspiracy related to a plan to acquire election financing for his 2007 presidential race.

He maintains his innocence challenging the decision, and a fresh trial planned for next spring.