Overview
- The Algerian presidency said President Abdelmadjid Tebboune approved German President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier’s request to grant Boualem Sansal a pardon for humanitarian reasons.
- Algeria stated that the German state will handle Sansal’s transfer and treatment in Germany as he requires medical care for serious health issues.
- French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu expressed the government’s relief and Sansal’s lawyers welcomed a resolution in which humanity prevailed.
- Sansal, 81, was arrested on November 16, 2024 and in July 2025 received a five‑year sentence for statements deemed to undermine national unity.
- He declined to seek cassation, making him eligible for a presidential grace under Algerian law, and his case had become a focal point in strained France–Algeria relations.