Former French President Sarkozy Jailed Over Campaign Funding – Level 1

Nicolas Sarkozy was the president of France from 2007 to 2012. Today, he went to prison in Paris. A court said he did something wrong during his 2007 campaign to become president. The court believes he used money from Libya, a country in Africa, for his campaign. Sarkozy says this is not true. He says he is innocent.

Before going to the prison, called La Santé, he wrote a message on social media. He said, “an innocent man is being imprisoned.” He also said he will keep his head held high. In prison, he will be kept in a special area by himself. He can only go to the yard two times a day.

This is very important news in France. Sarkozy is the first former president to be sent to prison in a very long time. This decision by the court ends a long legal fight over the money from the old leader of Libya. The news is a big surprise for many people in France and around the world.

New Words:

1. President : The leader of a country, chosen by the people. Example: The president of France lives in Paris.
2. Prison : A special building where people who have broken the law are kept as punishment. Example: He was sent to prison after the court found him guilty.
3. Innocent : When a person has not done anything wrong or is not guilty of a crime. Example: She told the judge that she was innocent.