Former French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, incarcerated under heightened security in La Santé prison

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy began a five-year sentence on Tuesday in La Santé prison in Paris, after being convicted of conspiracy in the fundraising for the electoral campaign in Libya. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that Sarkozy will receive special protection, having two police officers permanently stationed in nearby cells due to threats against him. Sarkozy will be held in the prison's isolation unit, where he will be separated from other inmates.

This security measure has generated protests from prison guard unions, which believe that the existing staff is capable of ensuring the safety of inmates without police intervention. Sarkozy's lawyers have filed a request for early release, which could be reviewed in about a month, with the hope of securing his release by Christmas.