Paris: Three prison inmates were taken into special custody on Wednesday after a video on social media showed death threats being made against former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is now serving out a five-year sentence at La Sante prison in Paris.

According to Anadolu Agency, Paris prosecutors informed broadcaster BFMTV that the inmates were taken into custody following "the circulation on social media of a video, apparently filmed by an inmate of the facility, making threats upon Nicolas Sarkozy's arrival." The office confirmed that an investigation over death threats has been opened, and an administrative search was conducted, resulting in the seizure of two phones.

Should this case advance to court, Sarkozy is expected to join the proceedings as a civil party, as noted by a source close to him who spoke to BFMTV. Despite being imprisoned only since Tuesday, Sarkozy has two armed police officers assigned for his protection around the clock, with shifts changing every 12 hours to ensure his safety.

The former president was sentenced last month to five years in prison for conspiracy in a case related to the Libyan financing of his 2007 election campaign. While Sarkozy denied all wrongdoing, the court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy but cleared him of passive corruption and other illegal financing charges.

Upon entering the prison, Sarkozy's legal team submitted a request for his release, which is scheduled to be reviewed by an appeals court within the next two months. Nicolas Sarkozy, who served as France's president from 2007 to 2012, maintains his innocence in the charges against him.