Overview
- Algeria’s presidency said President Abdelmadjid Tebboune granted a humanitarian pardon after a formal request from German President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier.
- Official statements indicate Germany will handle Sansal’s transport and medical treatment following the pardon.
- Steinmeier’s appeal cited Sansal’s advanced age and fragile health and offered care in Germany.
- Boualem Sansal was arrested in November 2024 after remarks about the Algeria–Morocco border and Western Sahara and was sentenced this year to five years for endangering national unity.
- Previous pleas from France, including from President Emmanuel Macron, had been rejected by Algiers.