STORY: Supporters of convicted former French president Nicolas Sarkozy insisted he was "not a criminal" on Tuesday (October 21) morning, as the political figure is set to be taken to Paris' Sante prison to serve a sentence for conspiring to raise campaign funds from Libya.

"Justice should be served in the name of the French people. I don't feel like this is the case here," Sarkozy supporter Joel Rey said as he stood among dozens of others outside the former president's home in a show of support.

Sarkozy, who was the conservative president of France between 2007 and 2012, will become the first former French leader to be jailed since Nazi collaborator Marshal Philippe Petain after World War Two.

France's Penitentiary Administration Director Sebastien Cauwel told RTL radio that the former President would be held in isolation.

The conviction caps years of legal battles over allegations that his 2007 campaign took millions in cash from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was later overthrown and killed during the Arab Spring uprisings.

While Sarkozy was found guilty of conspiring with close aides to orchestrate the scheme, he was acquitted of personally receiving or using the funds.

He has consistently denied wrongdoing and called the case politically motivated, saying judges were seeking to humiliate him. He has appealed, but the nature of his sentence means he must go to jail as his appeal process plays out.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: PEOPLE ARRIVING AT FORMER FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY'S HOME ON MORNING OF HIS FIRST DAY IN PRISON / POLICE AND SUPPORTERS OUTSIDE SARKOZY'S HOME / SOUNDBITES OF SUPPORTERS / SOUNDBITES OF PENITENTIARY ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR, SEBASTIEN CAUWEL / POLICE OUTSIDE PRISON

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 21, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. PEOPLE ARRIVING AT HOME OF FORMER FRENCH PRESIDENT, NICOLAS SARKOZY, ON MORNING OF HIS FIRST DAY IN PRISON

2. VARIOUS OF SARKOZY’S SON, LOUIS SARKOZY, AND WIFE, NATALI HUSIC, ARRIVING

3. VARIOUS OF SARKOZY’S SON, PIERRE SARKOZY, ARRIVING

4. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE STANDING BEHIND METAL FENCE

5. SARKOZY SUPPORTERS GATHERED NEAR HIS HOME

6. SARKOZY SUPPORTER, JACQUELINE FRABOULET, STANDING

7. SUPPORTERS GATHERED IN CROWD

8. (SOUNDBITE) (French) SARKOZY SUPPORTER, JACQUELINE FRABOULET, SAYING:

"Nicolas Sarkozy is not a criminal, although now, he is going to be incarcerated like a criminal. I contest the current legal decision, especially this one. We actually feel like the justice system is taking the power, and that's not good for France."

9. SUPPORTERS GATHERED IN CROWD

10. ALLEY TOWARDS SARKOZY’S HOME

11. (SOUNDBITE) (French) 59-YEAR-OLD SARKOZY SUPPORTER, JOEL REY, SAYING:

“For me, it's clearly an activist decision of the judges, and so this is not justice - in any case I don't feel like it was served in my name. In any case, in France, justice should be served in the name of the French people. I don't feel like this is the case here."

12. VARIOUS OF POLICE OUTSIDE SARKOZY’S HOME

13. VARIOUS OF POLICE STANDING NEAR CAR

PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 21, 2025) (RTL – No re-use after October 22, 2025 at 0415GMT / Must on-screen courtesy “RTL”)

14. (SOUNDBITE) (French) PENITENTIARY ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR, SEBASTIEN CAUWEL, SAYING:

“He will be under a specific regime, an isolation regime, like other prisoners of these quarters, like around 100 other prisoners in France. That means that he will be alone in his cell, a cell that has until recently been occupied by another prisoner, that he will always have access to walks alone twice per day, he will have access to a recreation room alone, and in his cell, he will always be alone."

PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 21, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

15. VARIOUS OF POLICE OUTSIDE SANTE PRISON, WHERE SARKOZY WILL SERVE HIS PRISON TERM

PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 21, 2025) (RTL – No re-use after October 22, 2025 at 0415GMT / Must on-screen courtesy “RTL”)

16. (SOUNDBITE) (French) PENITENTIARY ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR, SEBASTIEN CAUWEL, SAYING:

“It's certain that there will be a bit of ruckus (when Sarkozy arrives in prison), but our role is to preserve the peace in the institution, to put Mr. Sarkozy in the most secured quarters, the one most isolated from the prison to avoid difficulties with other prisoners from windows or anywhere else."

PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 21, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

17. PEOPLE OUTSIDE PRISON

18. POLICE OUTSIDE PRISON

PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 21, 2025) (RTL – No re-use after October 22, 2025 at 0415GMT / Must on-screen courtesy “RTL”)

19. (SOUNDBITE) (French) PENITENTIARY ADMINISTRATION DIRECTOR, SEBASTIEN CAUWEL, SAYING:

“This is of course a challenge, considering the permanent threats that weigh on Mr. Sarkozy. Seeing his responsibilities, especially that of being president..."

JOURNALIST: "For example, what concrete threats are there against him today?"

"There are permanent threats, inside the prison of course, as well as outside."

PARIS, FRANCE (OCTOBER 21, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

20. SECURITY CAMERA OUTSIDE PRISON

21. POLICE OUTSIDE PRISON