Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday reported to La Santé Prison in Paris to begin serving a five-year jail term after being convicted of conspiring to secure campaign funds from late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Sarkozy, who governed France from 2007 to 2012, was seen leaving his residence in the 16th arrondissement of Paris alongside his wife, Carla Bruni, before arriving at the correctional facility.

In a post shared earlier on X (formerly Twitter), the 69-year-old politician reiterated his innocence, writing: “An innocent man is being locked up. I am not asking for any advantages or favours. The truth will prevail.”

The former president has consistently denied claims that his 2007 presidential campaign was financed with illegal Libyan funds. His legal team has already signaled plans to appeal the conviction.

According to Reuters, supporters gathered in Paris holding French flags with the Lorraine cross during a rally organized by Sarkozy’s sons to show solidarity with their father.

Sarkozy’s imprisonment marks a historic moment, making him the first French head of state in decades to serve time behind bars. Once hailed as a dynamic yet polarizing figure who pledged to modernize France, his conviction represents a dramatic fall from political grace.

Sarkozy was sentenced in September for a criminal conspiracy linked to an alleged plan for Gaddafi to bankroll his 2007 presidential campaign.