Ex-French President Sarkozy's 5-year jail term to start next week, RTL reports

PARIS (Reuters) -Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy will head to a Paris prison next week, where he will begin an unprecedented five-year prison sentence for criminal conspiracy over attempts to raise 2007 election campaign funds from Libya, RTL reported on Monday.

RTL reported that Sarkozy would be sent to Paris' Sante prison on October 21.

The Paris financial prosecutor's office said it could neither confirm nor deny the RTL report. Sarkozy's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The sentence was a spectacular downfall for the conservative who led France from 2007-2012, with judges saying their ruling took into account the "exceptional seriousness" of the case.

Sarkozy, who has always said he was innocent, was found guilty of criminal conspiracy over efforts by close aides to procure funds for his successful 2007 presidential bid from Libya during the rule of late dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

It is the third time Sarkozy has been convicted of fraud-related charges.

(Reporting by Inti Landauro, Makini Brice and Juliette Jabkhiro; Editing by Gabriel Stargardter)