Algerian Authorities Detain Writer Boualem Sansal, Block French Lawyer's Access
The Franco-Algerian author, known for his criticism of the Algerian government, faces charges under a controversial penal code article as his lawyer decries procedural opacity.
- Boualem Sansal, an 80-year-old Franco-Algerian writer and critic of the Algerian regime, was arrested in mid-November at Algiers airport and charged with 'endangering state security' under Article 87 bis of Algeria's penal code.
- Sansal's French lawyer, François Zimeray, was denied a visa to Algeria, preventing him from collaborating with local defense attorneys ahead of a key hearing on December 11 to appeal for the writer's release.
- The writer has reportedly been transferred to Kolea prison, 35 kilometers from Algiers, without timely notification to his defense team, raising concerns about the transparency of the legal process.
- Sansal's arrest has drawn widespread condemnation, with French political figures, intellectuals, and Nobel laureates calling for his immediate release and framing the detention as an attack on freedom of expression.
- Amnesty International has faced criticism for its delayed and cautious response to Sansal's detention, with critics accusing the organization of failing to strongly advocate for his release.
Sud Ouest 
Le Journal du Dimanche 
l'Opinion 