French-Algerian author Boualem Sansal declines appeal, hopes for presidential pardon
French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal has decided not to appeal his five-year prison sentence in Algeria, instead placing his hopes on a presidential pardon, according to France 24.
Sansal, 80, was sentenced in March 2025 by a court in Dar El Beida for undermining Algeria’s territorial integrity. The charges stem from comments he made in a 2024 interview with the French outlet Frontières, where he stated that France had unfairly transferred Moroccan land to Algeria during the colonial era. Algerian authorities deemed the statement a threat to national unity and territorial sovereignty.
The writer was arrested in November 2024 upon his arrival at Algiers airport. Along with the prison sentence, he was fined 500,000 Algerian dinars (approximately $3,730). An appeals court upheld the sentence on July 1, leading Sansal to opt out of taking the case to Algeria’s Supreme Court.
Speaking to France Inter, Noëlle Lenoir, head of Sansal’s support committee and a former French minister, criticized Algeria’s judiciary. “He has no chance of having his offence reclassified,” she said, emphasizing that the legal battle has effectively ended. Sources close to Sansal confirmed he has officially relinquished his right to appeal.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou has called on Algeria to pardon the author, whose deteriorating health adds urgency to his case. Sansal, who is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, was notably excluded from Algeria’s recent mass pardon granted ahead of Independence Day.
Lenoir remains optimistic, stating, “We believe he will be released. It is impossible for Algeria to take responsibility for his death in prison.”
Widely regarded as one of North Africa’s leading literary voices, Sansal is known for his critical stance on Algerian politics. Over his career, he has received numerous accolades for his works, which often challenge the status quo in his home country.
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