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The French-Algerian author Boualem Sansal has received a five-year jail term in Algeria for allegedly compromising the nation's territorial integrity.
Sansal was taken into custody in November of last year At Algiers airport following comments to a far-right French media outlet called Frontières about France unjustly transferring Moroccan land to Algeria, Sansal has primarily been hospitalized since his arrest due to a cancer diagnosis.
Yesterday, at Dar El Beïda courthouse, the author's statement was publicly disclosed, indicating that they would be serving a five-year jail sentence along with a monetary penalty of 500,000 Algerian dinars (approximately €3,500).
The prosecutors sought a decade-long imprisonment for the author, who was found guilty under Article 87 of Algeria’s criminal law for actions including sowing discord within the nation, defaming an official entity, destabilizing the country’s economic framework, and holding media materials and documents deemed perilous to the state’s safety and steadiness.
Sansal defended his remarks to the press, stating to the court that "my statements or compositions were merely individual opinions, and I possess the right to express them just as any Algerian citizen would."
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Born in Algeria during the French colonial era, Sansal has consistently written in French and acquired French citizenship in 2024. Throughout his literary journey, he has often criticized the growing influence of Islam in Algeria, leading to a ban on his works in the nation starting from 2006. His book titled "2084: La fin du monde" ("2084: The End of the World"), which envisions a dystopian future under an Islamic authoritarian regime after a nuclear conflict, received the prestigious 2015 Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie Française award.
The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has urged Algeria to free Sansal.
"I am hopeful that the highest Algerian authorities will make humane decisions to restore his freedom and permit him to receive treatment for the illness he is battling," he stated during a press briefing.
It’s not the first time Macron Has advocated for Sansal. In January, the president criticized Algeria for "dishonoring itself" due to the imprisonment.
"Algeria, this country we hold dear and whose countless tales and shared memories bind us closely together, is disgracing itself by obstructing medical care for a critically ill individual," he stated during an address to French diplomats at the Elysée Palace. "We, who cherish the Algerian people and their rich heritage, implore its leadership to free Boualem Sansal," he went on to say.
We express deep concern over the imprisonment of our compatriot Boualem Sansal," stated Christophe Lemoine, a representative from France’s Foreign Ministry. He further noted that the French government is calling on Algeria to swiftly achieve "an equitable, humane, and respectful solution to this matter.
After his arrest in November, Sansal has garnered significant public backing in France. The French newsweekly Le Point published an open letter penned by Prix Goncourt laureate Kamel Daoud and endorsed by numerous renowned writers, calling for Sansal’s prompt liberation.
Signatories of the letter Include the Nobel laureates Annie Ernaux, Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, Orhan Pamuk, Salman Rushdie, Peter Sloterdijk, Roberto Saviano, and Wole Soyinka.
The message states: "This unfortunate information highlights a disturbing situation in Algeria, where the freedom of expression has become merely a recollection amidst widespread suppression, incarceration, and constant monitoring of all citizens."
