Latest news with #Sansal
TimesLIVE
11 hours ago
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Algerian court upholds five-year jail term for writer Boualem Sansal
An Algerian court upheld on Tuesday a five-year prison sentence being served by French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal for undermining national unity, Ennahar TV said, prompting a call for clemency by France. Sansal, 80, had been living in France but was detained while visiting Algeria in November and sentenced in March after making statements to a French media outlet in which he endorsed Morocco's position that part of its territory was seized under French colonialism and annexed to Algeria. Sansal denied the charges. He said his statements were made within the framework of freedom of expression and that he had no intention of offending Algeria. "France regrets the appeal court's decision to impose a prison sentence on our compatriot Boualem Sansal, which maintains the sentence handed down by the lower court", the French Foreign Ministry said.
Morocco World
a day ago
- Politics
- Morocco World
Algerian Court Upholds Sansal's Five-Year Prison Sentence
Rabat –An Algerian court upheld today the five-year prison sentence against historian and novelist Boualem comes as Sansal has lost an appeal to be released on compassionate grounds. Police arrested Sansal in November 2024, after he gave an interview to a French media company. In this interview, he said that France unfairly ceded Moroccan territory to Algeria during the colonial era. Boualem Sansal is a well-known writer who has worked for a long time in Algeria. He has written a number of books which have been well received and won French literary awards. Initially, an Algerian court sentenced him to a 5-years in prison and a $3,500 fine on March 27. Sansal led an appeal and was acquitted after consistent calls by the French government. This is despite his being gravely ill with serious health conditions and cancer . In January, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Algeria for its decision to detain the author and called the writer's imprisonment a 'disgrace.' 'Algeria dishonours itself by preventing a gravely ill man from receiving proper care,' Macron stated as he condemned Algeria's actions. The French Prime Minister had hoped that the appeal would be carried out and that Sansal would be released, stating, 'France rejects the appeal court's decision to impose a prison sentence on our compatriot Boualem Sansal, which maintains the sentence handed down by the lower court.' French authorities also urged the Algerian authorities to show empathy and find a swift, humanitarian, and dignified solution to the conflict. But this was very unlikely since Algeria is run by a regime responsible for countless human rights abuses. Critics view Algeria's acts, including Sansal's arrest, as a geopolitical maneuver. This is in response to deteriorating relations since France recognized Morocco's sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara in July last year. Algeria has long been financially and militarily supporting Polisario, a separatist group that challenges Moroccan sovereignty and its territorial integrity. The Algerian regime also hosts, finances, arms, and trains the separatist militias, causing violent attacks within Morocco. There has been some hope that President Abdelmadjid Tebboune will offer an official presidential pardon to Sansal during Algeria's Independence Day on Saturday. But, at present, this remains unlikely, and this decision will have a big impact on the case. Tags: Boualem SansalFreedom of speech
Straits Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Algerian court upholds five-year jail term for French-Algerian writer
TUNIS - An Algerian court upheld on Tuesday a five-year prison sentence being served by French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal for undermining national unity, Ennahar TV said, prompting a call for clemency by France. Sansal, 80, had been living in France but was detained while visiting Algeria in November and sentenced in March after making statements to a French media outlet in which he endorsed Morocco's position that part of its territory was seized under French colonialism and annexed to Algeria. Sansal denied the charges. He said his statements were made within the framework of freedom of expression and that he had no intention of offending Algeria. "France regrets the appeal court's decision to impose a prison sentence on our compatriot Boualem Sansal, which maintains the sentence handed down by the lower court", the French Foreign Ministry said. It said France urged the Algerian authorities to show clemency and find a swift, humanitarian and dignified solution to the situation of our compatriot, taking into account his state of health and humanitarian considerations. French President Emmanuel Macron had called for Sandal's release after he was sentenced in March. Ties between Paris and Algiers have deteriorated since France recognised Morocco's sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara. Algiers' refusal to take back those deported by French authorities and Sansal's detention have exacerbated tensions, with each side expelling some of the other's diplomats. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
LeMonde
a day ago
- 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
a day ago
- 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.
