Former French president Sarkozy begins a 5-year prison sentence for campaign finance conspiracy

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at a prison in Paris on Tuesday to begin serving a 5-year sentence for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at a prison in Paris on Tuesday to begin serving a 5-year sentence for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya.

He is the first ex-leader of modern France to be imprisoned.

Sarkozy, hand-in-hand with his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, left home before getting into a car and traveling to the La Santé prison.

On his way to prison, Sarkozy said in a statement released on social media that “an innocent man” was being locked up.

He was convicted last month for criminal conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya.