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The ex-president of France is preparing a memoir next month called Diary of a Prisoner, chronicling the period endured behind bars.

The announcement emerged shortly following Sarkozy gained freedom as he appeals his conviction related to unlawful coordination regarding a scheme to acquire election campaign funds linked to the regime of Muammar Gaddafi.

Time in Custody: Solitary Musings

“Behind bars there is nothing to see, with little to occupy time,” he reflects in a preview, indicating the memoir is more about his reflections from seclusion instead of wider commentary on the overcrowded and crisis-hit correctional facilities in the country.

“I forget silence, which doesn’t exist at the prison, where there is a lot to hear,” he continues. “The din is alas constant. Yet, similar to barren lands, personal reflection grows stronger while incarcerated.”

Court Appearance: Recounting the Hardship

While appealing for release, he was present via screen from his cell, depicting prison life as draining. He stated to the judge: “I want to pay tribute to all the prison staff, showing great humanity, easing this nightmare manageable – as it truly is one.”

“It never crossed my mind at this stage of life, I would end up incarcerated. It’s an ordeal that has been imposed on me. I admit it’s difficult, extremely tough. It has an impact all who experience it due to its intensity.”

First of Its Kind

Sarkozy, who led the nation from 2007 to 2012, became the inaugural ex-leader from the EU and the first postwar leader in the French Republic to experience jail.

Before entering jail he had said he would use his time for authoring a memoir.

Books in Prison

Unconfirmed is did he manage to go through the volumes he took into prison: a life story of Jesus spanning two books together with Dumas’s work the famous story, a plot where an innocent man is imprisoned then breaks out to exact retribution.

Daily Reality

Sarkozy remained in isolation for his own security in a room approximately nine square meters with his own shower and toilet in the Paris jail in the city. Security personnel were stationed in the next cell.

It was stated that he consumed just yogurt while inside worried that any food might have been spat on. Although he had access to cook for himself but refused this, as per accounts. Not known is if he will detail his dietary choices.

Lawyer’s Statements

The legal representative, who saw him regularly daily while he was in prison, informed the court security would be better out of prison than inside. “He received menacing messages, listened to yells after dark and emergency responses in an adjacent room during an inmate’s self-injury.”

Charges and Sentence

Sarkozy went to prison in late October when a French court imposed a five-year sentence on conspiracy charges related to a plan to acquire campaign funds during his election campaign.

He denies wrongdoing and is contesting the ruling, and a fresh trial planned for early next year.