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Rabat – French prosecutors have opened an investigation after a video surfaced showing a prisoner at Paris’ La Santé prison making death threats against former president Nicolas Sarkozy.
The video, filmed inside the prison, has raised security concerns just one day after Sarkozy began serving his five-year sentence.
According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, the video appeared yesterday on social media. It was reportedly filmed by an inmate who threatened Sarkozy following his arrival at the facility. The prison director immediately alerted authorities.
Investigators questioned three inmates in connection with the case, and police seized two mobile phones during a search of the prison. It remains unclear how the devices were smuggled into the facility.
Sarkozy, who was president of France from 2007 to 2012, began serving his sentence on Tuesday after being convicted of illegally financing his 2007 presidential campaign with money from Libya. French courts found that Sarkozy and his team conspired to receive millions of euros from the regime of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to help fund his campaign.
While Sarkozy continues to deny any wrongdoing, he became the first former French president in modern history to serve prison time. He has already been convicted in other corruption-related cases, though he remains free on some pending appeals.
Due to the high risk surrounding his imprisonment, authorities have assigned two armed police officers to guard Sarkozy during his time at La Santé. This measure, however, has angered prison guard unions, who say it gives the former president special treatment and disrupts the security system inside the prison.
La Santé prison, located in central Paris, is one of France’s oldest and most well-known prisons. It has housed several high-profile inmates over the years.
The investigation into the threats is ongoing, and prosecutors have not yet confirmed whether charges will be brought against the inmate responsible for the video.
