A court in Algeria on Thursday sentenced award-winning French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal to five years in prison for remarks questioning Algeria’s borders with Morocco, according to AP News.
The case escalated tensions between Algiers and Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron publicly called for Sansal’s release, citing humanitarian concerns over the 76-year-old’s declining health.
I sincerely hope that, after this judgement, the highest Algerian authorities will take clear, humane and humanitarian decisions to restore his freedom, and allow him to become a free man once again and to take care of himself, as he is also fighting illness.
Sansal was convicted under Algeria’s anti-terrorism laws for “undermining national unity,” “insulting public institutions,” and “disseminating videos threatening national stability.” Prosecutors sought 10 years, the maximum under Article 87 of Algeria’s penal code, but the court halved the sentence. Sansal was also fined 500,000 Algerian dinars ($3,734).
The charges stem from an October 2023 interview with French outlet Frontières, where Sansal argued that colonial-era borders unfairly included Moroccan lands, a sensitive topic in Algeria.
Local authorities also denied Sansal’s French lawyer a visa, forcing him to defend himself after refusing court-appointed lawyers.
The verdict drew criticism from PEN International, French-Algerian novelist Kamel Daoud, and politicians across France’s spectrum, including national-oriented leader Marine Le Pen. French Les Républicains party’s François-Xavier Bellamy stated that France “has no right to abandon a writer.”
Boualem Sansal sentenced to five years in prison – for an opinion. In his situation, it might be a death sentence. We must not resign ourselves to this verdict being the final word. Algeria cannot believe that its pride could lie in this repressive madness. And France has no right to abandon a writer whose freedom has made him one of its own…
Diplomatic fallout
A planned visit by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to Paris never took place, and Algeria has since restricted French businesses and refused to accept deported Algerians from France.
However, appeals and pardons are still possible, as Sansal’s lawyers may challenge the verdict, and President Tebboune could issue a presidential pardon. Analysts say that such a move could ease tensions with France.
Literary Legacy: Sansal, a critic of Algeria’s political elite, has won acclaim in France for novels like 2084: The End of the World (2015 Grand Prix du Roman winner) but faces censorship in his homeland.
