FORMER French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at a prison in Paris today to begin serving a five-year sentence for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya.

He is the first ex-leader of modern France to be imprisoned.

On his way to the La Sante prison by police car, the right-wing ex-president said in a statement that “an innocent man” was being locked up.

Mr Sarkozy’s lawyers said a request for release has been immediately filed.

He was convicted last month for criminal conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya.

Mr Sarkozy contests both the conviction and a judge’s unusual decision to incarcerate him pending appeal.

Hundreds of supporters applauded and chanted “Nicolas, Nicolas” and sang the French anthem. Two French flags were hung on a nearby fence, with the inscriptions: “Courage Nicolas, return soon” and “true France with Nicolas.”

Mr Sarkozy’s lawyers said that the former president will be held in solitary confinement, where he will be kept away from all other prisoners for security reasons.

The judge that sentenced Mr Sarkozy said the former president would have to begin his prison time without waiting for his appeal to be heard, due to “the seriousness of the disruption to public order caused by the offence.”