France's former President Sarkozy to have permanent police protection in prison

France's ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy will be protected by two police officers stationed in neighbouring cells during his time in prison, according to the country's interior minister.

Sarkozy entered La Santé prison in Paris on Tuesday 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 former leader of modern France to be imprisoned.

On Wednesday, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said two police officers from a security detail that protects ex-presidents will be based permanently in neighbouring cells during Sarkozy's incarceration.

"The former president of the republic is entitled to protection because of his status. There is obviously a threat against him, and this protection is being maintained while he is in detention," Nunez told Europe 1 radio.

The two officers will protect Sarkozy in prison "as long as it is necessary", he said.

Sarkozy is being held in La Santé's isolation unit. Prisoners are kept in single cells and do not interact during outdoor activities, which means Sarkozy should avoid contact with other inmates.

He will be allowed to go outdoors one hour per day alone in the prison yard and to get three visits per week from his family.

The former president told Le Figaro newspaper that he would bring three books in prison — the maximum allowed — including The Count of Monte Cristo and a biography of Jesus Christ. He is planning to write a book about his time in jail, according to his lawyers.

Sarkozy has contested both the conviction and a judge's unusual decision to incarcerate him pending appeal.

The Paris court ruled last month that Sarkozy would start to serve prison time without waiting for his appeal to be heard, due to "the seriousness of the disruption to public order caused by the offence".

Sarkozy's lawyers have filed a request for early release, pending his appeals trial. Judges have up to two months to process the request.

In a show of defiance and while on his way to prison, Sarkozy released a statement on social media declaring that "an innocent man" was being locked up.

"I will continue to denounce this judicial scandal," he wrote. "The truth will prevail".