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The ex-president of France plans a memoir in the coming weeks titled Notes from a Cell, chronicling his time spent in custody.

The revelation was made just 11 days after the former president was released while his appeal proceeds the guilty verdict on charges of criminal conspiracy regarding a scheme to obtain political financing from the regime of the late Libyan dictator.

Life Behind Bars: Solitary Musings

“Behind bars one sees little, with little to occupy time,” he writes in one passage, implying the memoir centers around his reflections during seclusion as opposed to a broader observation of the strained and troubled French prison system.

“Quiet is absent, not present in La Santé, where noise is constant sound,” he continues. “The din unfortunately never stops. However, akin to empty spaces, inner life grows stronger in prison.”

Court Appearance: Sharing the Struggle

While appealing for release, he participated via screen from a room in prison, depicting prison life as gruelling. He expressed in court: “I want to pay tribute the correctional officers, displaying remarkable compassion, and who helped make this nightmare bearable – since it’s deeply troubling.”

“It never crossed my mind at this stage of life, I’d be in prison. It’s a trial I must endure. It’s challenging, I acknowledge, extremely tough. It affects one all who experience it because it’s gruelling.”

Unprecedented Situation

The former president, who served as France’s president for a five-year term, became the inaugural ex-leader from the EU and the initial post-WWII figure from France to experience jail.

Ahead of his incarceration he mentioned he would use his time for authoring a memoir.

Books in Prison

Unconfirmed is if he found the opportunity to go through the three books he took into prison: a two-volume biography of Jesus plus the novel by Dumas The Count of Monte Cristo, in which a wrongfully accused individual ends up incarcerated later flees to take revenge.

Daily Reality

Sarkozy remained in solitary confinement for his own security in a cell approximately nine square meters featuring a personal bathroom at the correctional facility in Paris. Guards were stationed in a neighbouring cell.

Reports indicated that he consumed solely dairy snacks during his stay because he feared prison cuisine could have been tampered with. Although he had access for self-catering yet he declined, as per accounts. Not known is whether Sarkozy will write about meals during incarceration.

Legal Perspective

The legal representative, Christophe Ingrain daily during the incarceration, told the release hearing his safety would improve outside jail than inside. “There were death threats, heard shouts after dark and the urgent intervention next door when a prisoner self-harmed.”

Legal Proceedings

Sarkozy went to prison on 21 October after a French court imposed a five-year sentence on conspiracy charges over a scheme to secure election financing for his 2007 presidential race.

He disputes the charges and has appealed against the verdict, and another court case is scheduled for next spring.