Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, convicted in the Libya funding case, has arrived at Paris’s La Santé prison, AP reports.

Sarkozy was accompanied by his wife, model Carla Bruni, and one of his lawyers, Christophe Engren. Supporters gathered outside his residence prior to his departure, waving French flags and holding signs reading “Nicolas, come back soon.”

On social media, Sarkozy wrote: “This morning behind bars, it is not the former President of the Republic who is imprisoned, but an innocent man.”

The 70-year-old former president will begin serving his five-year sentence in solitary confinement starting October 21.

A few days ago, current President Emmanuel Macron met privately with Sarkozy, emphasizing that such a meeting was a “human” gesture given the circumstances.

On September 25, a court sentenced Sarkozy to five years in prison—after delaying the sentence—on charges of criminal conspiracy tied to illegal funding from Libyan authorities during his 2007 presidential campaign. He was also fined €100,000 and barred from holding public office for five years. Sarkozy described the verdict as both unfair and humiliating for France.

Sarkozy, who served as President from 2007 to 2012, is the first modern French head of state to be imprisoned. His lawyer has indicated that Sarkozy is expected to spend three weeks to a month in prison, and he is contesting both the conviction and the judge’s decision to place him in custody pending appeal.