Sarkozy under police guard in prison after inmate threatens to kill him to ‘avenge Gaddafi’
Nicolas Sarkozy faces death threats in Paris prison
- Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been incarcerated in La Sante jail, Paris, after receiving a five-year sentence for conspiring to accept laundered cash from the late Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi.
- His first night in prison was described as “frightening”, leading to two police officers being assigned to the cell next door for 24-hour protection following death threats.
- A video emerged online showing an inmate shouting threats against Sarkozy, referencing Gaddafi and demanding the return of billions of dollars.
- Eric Ciotti, president of Sarkozy’s conservative party, The Republicans, voiced concerns about the death threats and stressed the importance of ensuring the former president's security.
- Sarkozy is appealing his sentence and has previous convictions for other offences, while his wife, Carla Bruni, faces separate charges related to an alleged attempt to keep him out of jail; she denies any wrongdoing.