Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy entered a prison in Paris on Tuesday on the first day of a five-year sentence, marking the first time a former leader of modern France has spent time behind bars.

Axar.az informs, citing CNN, Sarkozy was driven to the prison complex on Tuesday morning, waving to his supporters as he left his house.

The car driving him was surrounded by dozens of police motorbikes and vehicles, making its way to La Santé Prison in southern Paris.

Sarkozy was sentenced to five years in jail for criminal conspiracy last month, for his role in a scheme to finance his 2007 presidential campaign with funds from Libya in exchange for diplomatic favors.

The former president, who left office in 2012, intends to appeal but in the meantime is expected to occupy a cell either in solitary confinement or in the so-called “VIP wing” of La Santé prison complex.