A book written by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy about his time in prison hit bookstores in Paris on Wednesday (December 10).

The book, titled “Diary of a Prisoner” (“Le Journal d’un Prisonnier”), published by Fayard, recounts his experiences in La Sante prison, where he was behind bars for three weeks.

A quote from the book was shared by Fayard: “In prison, there is nothing to see, nothing to do. I forget the silence, which doesn’t exist at La Santé where there is much to hear. The noise is, alas, constant. Like in the desert, one’s inner life is strengthened in prison.”

Many of Sarkozy’s supporters trooped to Librairie Fontaine in Auteuil, near the ex-president’s residence, to buy a copy of the 216-page book.

An 85-year-old supporter, Francois Raguenau, who said she was Sarkozy's neighbour, bought the book.

“I like Sarkozy, and really, I think the legal system was shameful toward him. And for France, it gives off a very bad image of France," Raguenau said.

Sarkozy, the first post-war French president to be imprisoned, was freed from jail and went home on November 10. A Paris court ruled he could be released while he appeals against his conviction for conspiring to raise funds from Libya.

Sarkozy was sent to prison on October 21 after he was found guilty in September of criminal conspiracy over efforts by close aides to procure funds for his 2007 presidential bid from late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

He has consistently denied wrongdoing, and has said the ruling on his case would undermine faith in France's judiciary.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

PARIS, FRANCE (DECEMBER 10, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF COVER OF NEW BOOK OF JAILED FORMER FRENCH PRESIDENT, NICOLAS SARKOZY, TITLED “DIARY OF A PRISONER”, DISPLAYED AT FONTAINE AUTEUIL BOOKSTORE

2. WOMAN HOLDING COPY OF BOOK

3. BOOKSTORE WORKER PUTTING COPY OF BOOK ON SHELF

4. COPIES OF SARKOZY’S BOOK NEXT TO COPIES OF BOOK BY FRENCH FAR-RIGHT NATIONAL RALLY (RN) LEADER, JORDAN BARDELLA, ON SHELF

5. COVER OF SARKOZY’S BOOK

6. (SOUNDBITE) (French) 85-YEAR-OLD SUPPORTER AND NEIGHBOUR OF NICOLAS SARKOZY, FRANCOISE RAGUENAU, SAYING:

“I like Sarkozy, and really, I think the legal system was shameful toward him. And for France, it gives off a very bad image of France, voila.”

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

7. SARKOZY, WALKING OUT OF HOUSE WITH WIFE, CARLA BRUNI, AS HE LEAVES FOR PRISON SENTENCE

8. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF LA SANTE PRISON, WHERE SARKOZY WAS INCARCERATED

PARIS, FRANCE (DECEMBER 10, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

9. COPY OF SARKOZY'S BOOK BEING GIFT WRAPPED

10. PICTURE OF SARKOZY ON BOOK COVER

11. WOMAN LOOKING AT BOOK

12. COPIES OF BOOK ON SHELF

13. SHOPPER, CLAUDINE TEISSIER, HOLDING AND SHOWING BOOK

14. COVER OF BOOK

15. (SOUNDBITE) (French) NICOLAS SARKOZY SUPPORTER, CLAUDINE TEISSIER, SAYING:

“I love Nicolas Sarkozy, I’m a big 'Sarkozyst,' I’ve always been one. He’s someone I like a lot, who has done so much for France, and what they made him live through is a shame – it’s a shame.”

16. WOMAN LOOKING AT COPIES OF BOOK

17. WOMAN PUTTING TWO COPIES OF BOOK IN SHOPPING BAG

18. BOOKS IN STORE

20. PEOPLE OUTSIDE FONTAINE BOOKSTORE

21. (SOUNDBITE) (French) 73-YEAR-OLD PARISIAN, CHRISTINE DELOMBARES, SAYING:

“I don’t intend to buy it or read it, voila. (JOURNALIST ASKING: “Why?”) Because I’m not interested in reading what he has to say about his stay in prison, which was very brief.”

22. METRO STATION ENTRANCE

23. PEOPLE WALKING IN MARKET

24. (SOUNDBITE) (French) 51-YEAR-OLD BUSINESS OWNER, DAVID WINTER, SAYING:

“A president that finds himself in prison, that’s not common, this is the first time we’re seeing this in the French republic. So I think he was courageous to do this (write book), and I salute his initiative. Whatever my political opinions, I think it’s good to do this.”

25. PEOPLE WALKING ON STREET

26. (SOUNDBITE) (French) 60-YEAR-OLD SECURITY GUARD, NORDINE, SAYING:

“Is this important for people? Well, that depends on what he wrote. Is it about his stay in prison or anything else? People know about different things, but if they want to know about his (Sarkozy's) life in prison, it’s always interesting to find out.”

27. PEOPLE WALKING ON STREET