PARIS (AP) — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has arrived at a prison in Paris to begin serving a 5-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 prison, Sarkozy said “an innocent man is being locked up.”

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

PARIS (AP) — Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, hand-in-hand with his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, walked down his home's alley Tuesday before heading to prison to serve time for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya, the first ex-leader of modern France to be imprisoned.

Sarkozy contests both the conviction and a judge’s unusual decision

See Full Page