France's ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy became the first former head of an EU state to be jailed Tuesday, again proclaiming his innocence as he entered a Paris prison.

The right-wing leader from 2007 to 2012 was found guilty last month of seeking to acquire funding from Moamer Kadhafi's Libya for the campaign that saw him elected.

The 70-year-old, who has appealed the verdict, left his home on Tuesday morning and after a short drive entered the La Sante prison in Paris.

Christophe Ingrain, one of Sarkozy's lawyers, said a request had been immediately filed for his release pending an appeal but he would still spend at least "three weeks to a month" behind bars.

Convicts shouted from their cells "Welcome Sarkozy!" and "Sarkozy's here!", AFP reporters heard.

In a defiant message posted on

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