(MENAFN) Former French head of state Nicolas Sarkozy, found guilty of participating in a criminal conspiracy aimed at securing illegal financing for his 2007 presidential bid, will carry out his custodial term in solitary confinement, according to a report from a media outlet.

On September 25, a judicial body in Paris sentenced the 70-year-old to a five-year prison term for his involvement in a covert arrangement dating back to 2005.

The scheme allegedly involved securing clandestine campaign contributions from the deceased Libyan ruler, Muammar Gaddafi.

The court asserted that Sarkozy had offered to assist in rehabilitating Libya’s global reputation in exchange for the money.

The judge emphasized the “exceptional gravity” of the wrongdoing, mandating imprisonment even if Sarkozy pursues an appeal.

Sarkozy, who governed France between 2007 and 2012, has now become the first former leader of a European Union nation to receive a custodial sentence. His term is anticipated to commence on Tuesday.

On Sunday, the media outlet cited anonymous prison officials at La Santé prison in Paris, revealing that Sarkozy will probably be confined to a nine-square-meter (approximately 95-square-foot) cell located in the facility's isolation unit.

This setup was reportedly selected to limit his interactions with the general inmate population.

Sarkozy has rejected the ruling, calling it an “injustice,” and continues to assert his innocence. His legal representatives have lodged an appeal and are expected to seek a modification of the sentence to house arrest once incarceration begins.

The legal probe began in 2013 following allegations made in March 2011 by Saif al-Islam, son of Gaddafi, claiming that his father had funneled around €50 million ($54.3 million) into Sarkozy’s campaign efforts.

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