PARIS: Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was targeted by death threats from an inmate at Paris’s La Sante prison, where he began serving his sentence this week, prompting a probe, the Paris prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday.
“On October 22, 2025, the Paris prosecutor’s office was informed by the director of La Sante prison of a video circulating on social media, clearly filmed by an inmate, in which he made threats upon Nicolas Sarkozy’s arrival at the facility,” the prosecutor’s office said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
Three inmates were questioned as part of the investigation, and two mobile phones were seized during a search of the prison, it added.
Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, on Tuesday began serving a five-year sentence after being convicted of conspiring to raise campaign funds from Libya. The former president has been assigned two armed police officers for protection during his incarceration, a measure that has sparked complaints from prison guard unions.
France’s jailed ex-president Sarkozy targeted by death threats, prosecutor office says
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France’s jailed ex-president Sarkozy targeted by death threats, prosecutor office says
- The former president has been assigned two armed police officers for protection during his incarceration, a measure that has sparked complaints from prison guard unions
Nigeria seeks French help to combat insecurity, says Macron
- African country has witnessed violence and mass kidnappings from schools
LAGOS: Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has sought more help from France to fight widespread violence in the north of the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday, weeks after the United States threatened to intervene to protect Nigeria’s Christians.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has witnessed an upsurge in attacks in volatile northern areas in the past month, including mass kidnappings from schools and a church.
US President Donald Trump has raised the prospect of possible military action in Nigeria, accusing it of mistreating Christians. The government says the allegations misrepresent a complex security situation in which armed groups target both faith groups.
FASTFACTS
• US President Donald Trump has raised the prospect of possible military action in Nigeria, accusing it of mistreating Christians.
• The government says the allegations misrepresent a complex security situation in which armed groups target both faith groups.
Macron said he had a phone call with Tinubu on Sunday, where he conveyed France’s support to Nigeria as it grapples with several security challenges, “particularly the terrorist threat in the North.”
“At his request, we will strengthen our partnership with the authorities and our support for the affected populations. We call on all our partners to step up their engagement,” Macron said in a post on X.
Macron did not say what help would be offered by France, which has withdrawn its troops from West and Central Africa and plans to focus on training, intelligence sharing and responding to requests from countries for assistance.
Nigeria is grappling with a long-running insurgency in the northeast, armed kidnapping gangs in the northwest and deadly clashes between largely Muslim cattle herders and mostly Christian farmers in the central parts of the country, stretching its security forces.
Washington said last month that it was considering actions such as sanctions and Pentagon engagement on counterterrorism as part of a plan to compel Nigeria to better protect its Christian communities.
The Nigerian government has said it welcomes help to fight insecurity as long as its sovereignty is respected. France has previously supported efforts to curtail the actions of armed groups, the US has shared intelligence and sold arms, including fighter jets, and Britain has trained Nigerian troops.
