🔗 Share this article

The ex-president of France will soon publish a book next month titled A Prisoner’s Diary, which recounts his experience endured behind bars.

The revelation was made less than two weeks following the former president gained freedom while he appeals his conviction for criminal conspiracy in a case to obtain presidential race money linked to the leadership of the late Libyan dictator.

Time in Custody: Personal Reflections

“Behind bars there is nothing to see, with little to occupy time,” he notes in one passage, suggesting the account is more about his thoughts during isolation instead of extensive analysis on the overcrowded and crisis-hit correctional facilities in the country.

“Silence escapes me, not present in that facility, where there is endless commotion,” he adds. “The noise is alas constant. But, just like the desert, one’s inner world is fortified while incarcerated.”

Court Appearance: Sharing the Struggle

While appealing for release, the former leader was present via screen from his cell, describing his time inside as exhausting. He expressed in court: “I must acknowledge those working in the jail, who are exceptionally humane, and who helped make this difficult experience manageable – since it’s deeply troubling.”

“It never crossed my mind at this stage of life, I would end up incarcerated. It’s a hardship I must endure. I admit it’s difficult, it’s very hard. It affects one on any prisoner due to its intensity.”

Historical Context

The former president, who led the nation between 2007 and 2012, set a precedent as past president of an EU country and the initial post-WWII figure in the French Republic to serve time in prison.

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

Books in Prison

It remains unclear did he manage to go through the three books he had in his cell: a two-volume biography of Jesus plus the novel by Dumas the classic tale, in which an innocent man ends up incarcerated but escapes to take revenge.

Prison Conditions

He was held in isolation to protect him in a cell of about nine sq metres with his own shower and toilet in the Paris jail in Paris. Security personnel occupied the next cell.

It was stated that he consumed solely dairy snacks in prison due to concerns prison cuisine could have been tampered with. Options were available for self-catering but he turned this down, based on unnamed sources. It is uncertain if the memoir includes what he ate in prison.

Defense Viewpoint

The legal representative, who saw him regularly each day throughout the jail term, stated during proceedings his safety would improve out of prison than inside. “He has faced menacing messages, heard shouts during nighttime and emergency responses in a neighbouring cell as a detainee harmed themselves.”

Case Background

His incarceration began last month following the judiciary gave him a five-year sentence for illegal collaboration related to a plan to acquire political donations during his election campaign.

He maintains his innocence challenging the decision, and another court case planned for early next year.