PARIS, Oct. 19 -- Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been jailed over a case involving illegal Libyan funding for his 2007 election campaign. He becomes the first former leader of an EU country to serve time behind bars. Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012, was convicted in September for criminal conspiracy linked to late Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi. He has appealed the verdict, calling it an "injustice."

He is being held at La Sante Prison in Paris, likely in a solitary confinement cell for security reasons. "If they want me to sleep in prison, I will - with my head held high," Sarkozy told reporters after his sentencing. The court found that Sarkozy's team made a secret deal with Kadhafi in 2005 to finance his 2007 ca...