Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at Paris's notorious La Sante prison on Tuesday to begin serving a five-year sentence for criminal conspiracy. The conviction stems from a scheme to finance his successful 2007 election campaign with illegal funds received from Libya.

Sarkozy's incarceration marks a historic and unprecedented moment, making him the first former leader of modern France to be imprisoned. He was convicted last month for his role in the criminal conspiracy, and while his legal team continues to challenge the verdict, a judge ruled he must begin serving his sentence without waiting for the appeal.

Defiance and emotional farewell

Minutes before entering the prison, the 70-year-old former president, accompanied by his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, walked slowly to greet his children and grandchildren outside his home in a high-end Paris neighbourhood.

In a statement released via social media on his way to the facility, Sarkozy maintained his defiant posture, asserting that "an innocent man is being locked up." He told La Tribune Dimanche newspaper ahead of his entry, "I'm not afraid of prison. I'll hold my head high, including in front of the doors of La Sante. I'll fight till the end.”

The departure drew hundreds of loyal supporters who applauded and chanted his name, singing the French national anthem. Two French flags were visible nearby, bearing the inscription: "Courage Nicolas, return soon."

Legal battle and solitary confinement

The Paris judge ruled that Sarkozy must serve prison time immediately due to "the seriousness of the disruption to public order caused by the offense." The former president contests both the conviction and the judge's unusual decision to incarcerate him pending appeal. His lawyers plan to file a request for release very quickly, though judges have up to two months to process it once he is officially behind bars.

Sarkozy's legal team confirmed he will be held in solitary confinement, isolated from all other prisoners for security reasons.

Speaking about his client's mental state, lawyer Jean-Michel Darrois said on France Info news broadcaster that the former president had prepared for the isolation. "First, he packed a bag with a few sweaters because it's cold in prison, and earplugs because it's very noisy," Darrois said. Another lawyer, Christophe Ingrain, stated that the incarceration "strengthens his determination, it strengthens his rage to prove that he is innocent," adding that Sarkozy intends to write a book about his prison experience.

Sarkozy also told Le Figaro newspaper he would bring the maximum three books allowed, including Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo -- a novel where the hero escapes prison before seeking revenge.

The judicial development occurred just one week after embattled centrist President Emmanuel Macron hosted the conservative Sarkozy at the presidential palace.

Macron defended the meeting, saying, "I have always been very clear in my public statements about the independence of the judiciary in my role, but it was normal on a human level to receive one of my predecessors in this context."