Overview
- Sansal, 81, was freed by a presidential pardon from Abdelmadjid Tebboune after nearly a year in detention for “atteinte à l’unité nationale.”
- He remains in a Berlin military hospital for medical examinations and is expected to stay at least into early next week, delaying an anticipated immediate trip to Paris.
- Speaking from Germany via a conversation relayed by Kamel Daoud, Sansal said he felt “rather well,” vowed to return to France soon, and described isolation and restricted reading during his incarceration.
- The clemency has triggered sharp debate in Algeria, with some media and political figures calling it a sovereign humanitarian gesture and others denouncing selective justice.
- French officials are treading carefully as they seek progress on the case of journalist Christophe Gleizes, who remains jailed in Algeria with an appeal hearing set for December 3, while Sansal’s communications remain limited.