Nicolas Sarkozy, former French President, will be transferred to La Santé prison in Paris next week to begin serving his five-year sentence .
The conviction stems from conspiracy charges related to receiving illegal campaign funding from Muammar Gaddafi, Libya’s former dictator.
The 70-year-old Sarkozy, who served as French President from 2007 to 2012, calls this case political persecution by the left wing.
The judges’ unusual decision to implement the sentence immediately without waiting for appeal results has surprised and angered his supporters.
He will become the first French President since World War II to go to prison.
La Santé prison, located in Paris’s 14th district, is known as a VIP facility for prominent figures.
Sarkozy’s lawyers plan to immediately request his temporary release, citing his age and technical legal points.
