01-07-2025
Sansal's Conviction Breaks French 'Undeclared Truce'
The provocative and customary stances of the French authorities towards Algeria returned immediately after the decision issued by the Algiers Judicial Council on Tuesday regarding the Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, which, as is known, upheld the ruling of the Dar El Beida Primary Court, sentencing him to five years in prison and a fine of 500,000 dinars.
The French authorities violated the undeclared truce with Algeria after the conviction of the Franco-Algerian writer was upheld, on charges related to undermining territorial integrity and insulting a regular body. They began to speak of an 'incomprehensible and unjustified' decision, a blatant interference in the Algerian judiciary and, consequently, in Algeria's internal affairs.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs circulated a statement that could further fuel the fire, stating: 'France deplores the conviction of our citizen Boualem Sansal by the Court of Appeal to a severe prison sentence, upholding the primary court's ruling.' The statement considered the decision to be 'both incomprehensible and unjustified.'
In an inconsistent tone, the statement in its second paragraph returned to an appeal, saying that 'France calls on the Algerian authorities to act with compassion and to formulate a swift, humane, and dignified solution for our citizen, taking into account his health condition and prioritizing humanitarian considerations,' expressing hope that he would be released for treatment.
The first French official to comment on the Algerian judiciary's decision was Prime Minister François Bayrou, who was accompanied by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. It appears that Retailleau emerged from the Sansal case with strict directives from certain decision-making sources in Paris, to avoid any slip that might violate the undeclared truce with Algeria by the French side. However, in the opinion of observers, the damage had already been done after the French Foreign Ministry's statement.
François Bayrou said that 'what Boualem Sansal is subjected to is an unbearable situation in the eyes of the French people and the French government… And now, after the verdict, we can imagine a pardon for him, especially given our citizen's health.' It is clear from these phrases that the French side initially escalates then resorts to appeal, which, in the opinion of observers, is inconsistent with the perspective of the Algerian authorities.
As for Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who was beside the Prime Minister answering a journalist's question from the French news channel 'LCI,' although he appeared smiling in a scene inappropriate for the nature of the situation, he refused to delve into the ongoing debate about the Algerian justice's decision regarding Boualem Sansal, for the time being, in what seemed like a veiled threat, confirming that the French side had not learned its lesson well.
Bruno Retailleau was asked, as shown in a video from the news channel 'LCI' on the 'X' platform, if it was time to revive his well-known project of 'gradual response' to Algeria. The French Interior Minister replied by saying: 'The Prime Minister has expressed his position (on the Sansal case), and as for me, I will spare no effort from now until the end of the week to secure Boualem Sansal's release, as the Prime Minister has just stated.'
The third French official who also delved into the issue of upholding the judicial ruling against the Franco-Algerian writer was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, who had always maintained his calm and composure. However, the shock of the decision flustered him, leading him to declare: 'I would like to express my extreme anger at the conviction of Boualem Sansal, which is an incomprehensible and unjustified conviction.'
Before pleading for compassion and forgiveness: 'The Algerian authorities must consider the case responsibly, humanely, and with respect, leading to the release of our citizen and enabling him to receive treatment, given his health condition and age.'
In turn, Arnaud Benedetti, a member of the so-called Sansal Support Committee, accompanied the official discourse with his provocative statements, demanding 'a swift and unconditional release,' and kept a glimmer of hope, as he said, as long as Algerian presidents usually issue pardons during national holidays, referring to Independence Day, which falls on July 5th.
