Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has reportedly received threats from inmates at Paris’ La Santé prison, who vowed to avenge the death of Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Videos circulating online appear to show prisoners shouting insults and promises of revenge toward Sarkozy, who recently began serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly financing his 2007 presidential campaign with money from Gaddafi’s regime.
In one video, an inmate can be heard yelling, “We will avenge Gaddafi! Return the billions, Sarko!” while claiming the former leader was isolated in his cell. Sarkozy, 70, is being held in solitary confinement, where he is expected to serve his sentence pending an appeal against his conviction for criminal conspiracy.
A viral video shows a prisoner confronting Nicolas Sarkozy, saying, “We’ll avenge Gaddafi. Give back the billions.” The former French president, jailed for conspiracy, is accused of taking Libyan money before leading NATO’s 2011 war that killed Gaddafi. pic.twitter.com/KlAISnFVSX
— comra (@comrawire) October 22, 2025
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed that Sarkozy is under special protection, with two officers from the presidential security unit stationed in adjoining cells to ensure his safety. “There is clearly a threat against him, and his protection will remain in place while he is in custody,” Nunez told Europe 1 radio.
Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, has denied all allegations, calling them politically motivated. The investigation into his campaign financing began in 2013 after Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, claimed his father provided Sarkozy with €50 million. Sarkozy later spearheaded the 2011 NATO-led intervention that toppled Gaddafi, leaving Libya in turmoil.
