Algeria’s president said on Wednesday he would pardon French-Algerian writer Boulam Sansal, who was jailed on charges of “undermining national unity”.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier had earlier urged Algeria to release the 81-year-old novelist, citing his age and deteriorating health.
After being pardoned, Sansal will be transferred to Germany for medical treatment. The author reportedly has cancer, and his lawyer says his health was deteriorating in prison.
Five years imprisonment for comment on colonialism
Boulem Sansal is a civil servant turned novelist, known for his essays and short stories critical of religious fundamentalism, colonialism, and the Algerian government.
He has received a series of prestigious French awards for his work, as well as the German Book Trade’s 2011 Peace Prize.
Sansal was arrested at Algiers International Airport while coming from France last year. There, he made controversial comments on Algeria’s borders under French colonial rule during an interview with the far-right French outlet Frontiers.
Upon his arrest in Algeria, he was detained, and in March this year, sentenced to five years in prison under the anti-terrorism law, for undermining national unity and security, among other charges.
His case drew sharp criticism from France and deepened the diplomatic rift between Paris and Algiers. Relations between the two countries were already strained after Paris recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara – a disputed territory in which Algeria supports pro-independence forces.
pardon on humanitarian grounds
Steinmeier’s Monday appeal for Sansal’s release echoed similar calls from fellow writers, human rights groups and French President Emmanuel Macron.
On Wednesday, a statement from Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune described Steinmeier’s appeal for Sansal’s release as “remarkable for its humanitarian nature and objectives.”
Algeria says Germany will be responsible for Sansal’s transportation and treatment.
French Prime Minister Sebastian Lecornu has expressed relief over Sansal’s release. “We hope he will be able to be reunited with his loved ones and receive treatment as soon as possible,” he told the National Assembly.
Edited by: Dmytro Lyubenko