French-Algerian writer Sansal's fate hangs on pardon after sentence upheld in Algeria
French Prime Minister François Bayrou was the first to respond, speaking on the sidelines of a visit to the Interior Ministry to discuss the heatwave. "The situation Boualem Sansal is being subjected to is one that all French people and the French government find intolerable, and rightly so," said Bayrou. "Now that the sentence has been handed down, we can imagine pardon measures, particularly in view of our compatriot's health, will be taken." Such leniency could be granted by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on the occasion of Independence Day on July 5.
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