Former French president Sarkozy begins five-year prison term

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at La Sante Prison in Paris on Tuesday to begin serving a five-year sentence.

The 70-year-old former conservative leader was convicted of participating in a criminal conspiracy linked to alleged campaign financing from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

On Tuesday morning, Sarkozy denounced what he called a "judicial scandal" in a post on social media platform X.

"I want to tell the French people, with the unshakable strength that is mine, that it is not a former president of the Republic who is being imprisoned this morning, it is an innocent man," he wrote.

His lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, confirmed that a request for his release has been filed.

On September 25, the Paris Criminal Court sentenced Sarkozy to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy related to alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign. Although he has appealed the verdict, the judges ordered the sentence to take immediate effect, citing the "exceptional seriousness" of the offenses.

Sarkozy thus becomes the first former French president in modern history to serve a prison sentence.

(With input from Xinhua)