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Morocco World
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Boualem Sansal Won't Appeal Five-Year Sentence in Algeria, Hopes for Pardon
Rabat – French-Algerian author Boualem Sansal will not appeal his five-year prison sentence in Algeria, France 24 reported today. The report quoted 'sources close to the author' as saying that they are hopeful for a presidential pardon. The 80-year-old writer was jailed in March for comments he made about Algeria's borders with Morocco, which the government considered an attack on national unity. The case against him began after he spoke to French outlet Frontières. In the interview, he said that France had unfairly given Moroccan land to Algeria during the colonial era. Sansal was arrested in November 2024 when he arrived at the airport in Algiers. In March 2025, a court in Dar El Beida sentenced him to five years in prison and gave him a fine of 500,000 Algerian dinars (about $3,730). He was charged with undermining Algeria's territorial integrity. An Algerian appeals court confirmed the sentence on July 1. Now, according to his support committee, Sansal has decided not to take the case to Algeria's Supreme Court. Noëlle Lenoir, head of the support committee and a former French government minister, told France Inter radio that the decision not to appeal was based on the poor state of the Algerian justice system. 'He has no chance of having his offence reclassified,' she said. 'This means the sentence is final.' His French lawyer declined to comment, but France 24 said sources confirmed Sansal has officially given up his right to appeal. French Prime Minister François Bayrou has expressed hope that Algeria will pardon the writer. Sansal, who has been receiving treatment for prostate cancer, was not included in the recent mass pardon by Algeria's president ahead of the country's Independence Day, which is today. 'We believe he will be released. It is impossible for Algeria to take responsibility for his death in prison,' Lenoir added. Sansal is a well-known figure in North African literature and has won several awards for his writing. He is famous for his criticism of the Algerian authorities. Tags: AlgerianBoualem Sansalprison
LeMonde
05-07-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
A French writer and a journalist are likely excluded from pardon measures granted by Algerian president
The silence of French authorities on the evening of Friday, July 4, after the announcement of pardons granted by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune appeared to confirm suspicions: Boualem Sansal was not expected to be among the 6,500 detainees released for the 63 rd anniversary of Algerian independence, celebrated on July 5. The Franco-Algerian writer, sentenced on Tuesday to five years in prison and a 500,000 dinar fine (€3,300) by the Algiers Court of Appeal, remained held at Koléa prison, where he had been incarcerated since his arrest in mid-November 2024 at the Algiers airport. The pardon decree signed by the Algerian head of state did not provide a list of the individuals to benefit from the gesture, but instead set out categories of detainees who would be excluded. One such category was "authors of attacks or plots against the authority of the state, national unity, or territorial integrity," which appeared to rule out the writer, since Algerian justice had convicted him of endangering state security, territorial integrity, and the stability of institutions. The charges stemmed from remarks made by Sansal in a filmed interview with the far-right magazine Frontières, in which he spoke about the western region of Algeria belonging to Morocco.
LeMonde
01-07-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
French-Algerian writer Sansal's five-year prison sentence upheld by appeals court
An Algerian court on Tuesday, July 1 upheld a five-year prison sentence against dual-national author Boualam Sansal, whose case has strained ties with France. Sansal, 80, was first sentenced to five years behind bars on March 27 on charges related to undermining Algeria's territorial integrity over comments made to a French media outlet. The appeals court confirmed the sentence after prosecutors sought to double his jail term, an AFP journalist reported from the hearing. Sansal was informed he has eight days to file a further appeal before Algeria's supreme court. His newly appointed French lawyer, Pierre Cornut-Gentille, said he would consult with his client before deciding whether to pursue another legal challenge. Following the verdict, French Prime Minister François Bayrou said he hoped Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebbone would grant Sansal a pardon. "Now that the sentence has been handed down, we can imagine pardon measures, particularly in view of our compatriot's health, will be taken," said Bayrou, calling the situation "unacceptable." Case 'makes no sense' French President Emmanuel Macron has also urged Tebboune to show "mercy and humanity" to the author. Some of Sansal's relatives have voiced hope he could be pardoned on Saturday, the 63 rd anniversary of Algeria's independence. A prize-winning figure in North African modern francophone literature, Sansal is known for his criticism of Algerian authorities as well as of Islamists. The case against him arose after he told the far-right outlet Frontières that France had unjustly transferred Moroccan territory to Algeria during the colonial period from 1830 to 1962 – a claim Algeria views as a challenge to its sovereignty and that aligns with longstanding Moroccan territorial assertions. Sansal was detained in November 2024 upon arrival at Algiers airport. On March 27, a court in Dar El Beida sentenced him to a five-year prison term and fined him 500,000 Algerian dinars ($3,730). Appearing in court without legal counsel on June 24, Sansal said the case against him "makes no sense" as "the Algerian constitution guarantees freedom of expression and conscience." Help us improve Le Monde in English Dear reader, We'd love to hear your thoughts on Le Monde in English! Take this quick survey to help us improve it for you. He defended his remarks by citing the African Union's post-independence declaration that colonial borders should remain inviolable. When questioned about his writings, Sansal asked: "Are we holding a trial over literature? Where are we headed?" Diplomatic rift Sansal's family has expressed fears prison could jeopardize his health, noting he is receiving treatment for prostate cancer. Authorities in the North African country maintain that due process is being respected. Commenting on his health on Tuesday, Cornut-Gentille said he saw Sansal a day earlier and that "he is fine." The writer's conviction further strained already tense France-Algeria relations, which have been complicated by issues such as migration and Macron's recent recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, a disputed territory claimed by the Algeria-backed Polisario Front.
Euronews
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Algerian court upholds writer Boualem Sansal's 5-year prison sentence
A court in Algeria has upheld Franco-Algerian author Boualem Sansal's five-year prison sentence in a case that has raised alarm over freedom of expression in Algeria and pushed tensions with France to the brink. The Académie Française prize-winning author of "2084: la fin du monde" ('2084: The End of the World'), a dystopian novel set in an Islamist totalitarian society following nuclear war, was charged in March under Algeria's anti-terrorism laws and convicted of 'undermining national unity." Sansal's appeal was closely watched in both France and Algeria. The novelist's case has united European lawmakers, who have demanded his release. However, Algerian lawmakers have condemned the European Parliament for a resolution criticizing the arrest of Sansal. Lawmakers from both chambers of the North African nation's parliament signed a statement in January rebuking the European Parliament's resolution for 'misleading allegations with the sole aim of launching a blatant attack against Algeria.' They accused the European Parliament of political inference and cast doubt on whether their motivations had to do with Sansal's well-being or 'harming the image of Algeria.' Sansal has gained mass public support in France. Last year, French news magazine Le Point released a letter written by Prix Goncourt winner Kamel Daoud and signed by multiple famous authors, demanding Sansal's immediate release. Signatories of the letter include the Nobel Prize winners Annie Ernaux, Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, Orhan Pamuk, Salman Rushdie, Peter Sloterdjik, Roberto Saviano and Wole Soyinka. The letter reads: 'This tragic news reflects an alarming reality in Algeria, where freedom of expression is nothing more than a memory in the face of repression, imprisonment, and the surveillance of the entire society.' Sansal was arrested in November last year at Algiers airport after he said that France unfairly ceded Moroccan territory to Algeria in an interview with right-wing French media outlet Frontières. Prosecutors had requested a 10-year prison sentence for the novelist, who has been convicted under article 87 of the Algerian penal code for undermining national unity, insulting an official body, undermining the national economy and possessing videos and publications that threaten national security and stability. Sansal defended his comments to the media, telling the court that 'my comments or writings were simply a personal opinion, and I have the right to do so like any Algerian citizen'. The case has unfolded at a historic low point in Algeria's relations with France, which were strained further over the disputed Western Sahara. The territorial dispute has long helped shape Algeria's foreign policy, with its backing of the Polisario Front, a pro-independence group that operates out of refugee camps in southwestern Algeria. Last year, France shifted its longstanding position to back Morocco's sovereignty plan. Analysts say that Sansal has become collateral damage in the broader diplomatic fallout and describe the charges as a political lever Algiers is deploying against Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron has previously called on Algeria to release Sansal. 'I hope there can be humanitarian decisions by the highest Algerian authorities to give him back his freedom and allow him to be treated for the disease he is fighting,' he said in a news conference earlier on this year. It was not the first time that Macron spoke up for Sansal, as he accused Algeria of 'disgracing itself' through the imprisonment. 'Algeria, which we love so much and with which we share so many children and so many stories, is dishonoring itself by preventing a seriously ill man from receiving treatment,' he said during a speech to French ambassadors at the Elysée Palace. 'And we who love the people of Algeria and its history urge its government to release Boualem Sansal.' Sansal's supporters now hope military-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune will grant a pardon on Saturday, when Algeria marks Independence Day and traditionally frees selected prisoners as part of a national amnesty. Additionally, the timing is dire, supporters warn, as Sansal battles prostate cancer and has spent part of his detention in a prison hospital.
Morocco World
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Macron Confident of Boualem Sansal's Imminent Release Amid Efforts to Ease Algeria-France Tensions
Rabat – French President Emmanuel Macron expressed optimism today over the anticipated release of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who is serving a five-year prison sentence in Algeria. Sansal's case is under 'special attention' by Algerian authorities, Macron commended during a visit to the Paris Book Festival, adding that the evolution of the case makes him confident that the writer would soon be released. 'I am confident because I know that there is particular attention. I am simply waiting for the results,' Macron said. He further noted, 'Our strongest wish is for the Algerian authorities to make the decision that will allow him to regain his freedom, receive treatment, and return to writing.' Macron made the remarks following a visit to the Morocco stand, this year's guest of honor at the festival. Sansal, who was sentenced on March 27 for 'undermining the integrity of the territory,' has been incarcerated since mid-November 2024. His politically motivated arrest and sentencing have been described as punishment for comments he made to the far-right French outlet Frontières. Sansal had suggested in the interview that Algeria had inherited territories from Morocco during French colonization. He has appealed the court's sentence, considering his case as unduly politicized and inadequately tried. Tensions between Algeria and France have been fraught since July 2024, when Macron voiced his support for Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara. Read also: French Committee Urges Protest Over Boualem Sansal's 10-Year Sentence Algeria supports the Polisario Front, a separatist group claiming independence in the Western Sahara region in southern Morocco. The arrest of Sansal added to the Algiers-Paris strain, as did Algeria's refusal, early in 2025, to accept Algerian influencers deported from France. In January, French President Emmanuel Macron ballistically criticized Algeria for imprisoning Sansal, denouncing the move as a 'disgrace.' Speaking before French ambassadors at the Élysée, Macron accused the Algerian authorities of denying the gravely ill author access to medical care. 'Algeria dishonors itself by preventing a gravely ill man from receiving proper care,' Macron stated. But recent efforts have aimed at easing the friction, including a phone call on March 31 between Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, which marked the beginning of renewed diplomatic dialogue. Still, it remains to be seen when and whether Algeria will indeed release Sansal in the coming days as part of ongoing efforts to ease tensions with France. Tags: Boualem Sansalfrance algeria tensionsfrance sansalhuman rightsMacron
