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Nicolas Sarkozy will soon publish a memoir next month titled Notes from a Cell, chronicling his experience served in jail.

The revelation came less than two weeks following the ex-leader gained freedom as he contests his conviction for illegal collaboration connected to efforts to secure presidential race money linked to the leadership of Muammar Gaddafi.

Prison Experience: Solitary Musings

“Inside jail there is nothing to see, and nothing to do,” he notes in a preview, indicating the book centers around his musings during solitary confinement as opposed to a broader observation of the strained and crisis-hit correctional facilities in the country.

“I forget silence, which doesn’t exist in that facility, where one hears constant sound,” he adds. “The noise persists relentlessly. However, akin to empty spaces, personal reflection grows stronger while incarcerated.”

Freedom Plea: Describing the Ordeal

While appealing for release, Sarkozy participated by video link from his cell, characterizing his incarceration as exhausting. He stated to the judge: “I wish to commend the correctional officers, who are exceptionally humane, and who helped make this difficult experience bearable – since it’s deeply troubling.”

“I never imagined at this stage of life, I’d be in prison. It’s an ordeal that has been imposed on me. I confess it’s hard, extremely tough. It affects one all who experience it due to its intensity.”

First of Its Kind

He, the ex-head of state for a five-year term, set a precedent as ex-leader from the EU and the first postwar leader from France to be incarcerated.

Before entering jail he mentioned he planned to utilize the opportunity for authoring a memoir.

Reading Material

Unconfirmed is whether he had time to go through the texts he brought with him: a two-volume biography of Jesus together with Dumas’s work the famous story, in which an innocent man is sentenced to jail but escapes to exact retribution.

Prison Conditions

The former leader remained secluded due to safety concerns in a space of about nine sq metres with his own shower and toilet at La Santé prison located in the capital. Guards occupied a neighbouring cell.

Reports indicated his diet consisted only yoghurts during his stay because he feared prison cuisine may have been contaminated. He had facilities to cook for himself but he turned this down, based on unnamed sources. Unclear remains if he will detail meals during incarceration.

Legal Perspective

The legal representative, who saw him regularly each day while he was in prison, informed the court his safety would improve released than inside. “He received death threats, has heard screaming during nighttime and emergency responses next door when a prisoner self-harmed.”

Case Background

He entered custody in late October after a Paris court sentenced him to five years in prison for illegal collaboration in connection with efforts to secure campaign funds for his 2007 presidential race.

He denies wrongdoing and is contesting the ruling, with a new trial set for early next year.