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Algerian Court Upholds Five-Year Prison Term for Writer Boualem Sansal

Paris condemned the appeal ruling as unjust, prompting advocates to urge President Tebboune to pardon Sansal on Independence Day.

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Opfer der algerisch-französischen Beziehungen: Boualem Sansal
Vor dem Hintergrund anhaltender diplomatischer Spannungen zwischen Frankreich und Algerien hat ein algerisches Gericht am Dienstag eine Haftstrafe gegen den französisch-algerischen Schriftsteller Boualem Sansal bestätigt.

Overview

  • An Algerian appeals court on July 1 confirmed Sansal’s conviction for “endangering national unity,” maintaining the five-year sentence handed down in March.
  • The French Foreign Ministry labeled the verdict “incomprehensible and unjust” and called on Algerian authorities to show clemency.
  • Sansal’s family and supporters cite his age and prostate cancer diagnosis alongside Algeria’s tradition of Independence Day pardons as grounds for a July 5 clemency appeal.
  • On Sunday, a court in Algiers sentenced French reporter Christophe Gleizes to seven years in prison for “glorifying terrorism,” reflecting a broader crackdown on journalists.
  • The dual convictions have intensified a diplomatic crisis between France and Algeria over expulsions, visa restrictions and France’s stance on Western Sahara.