Algerian Prosecutor Seeks 10-Year Sentence for Writer Boualem Sansal

The detained Franco-Algerian author, aged 80, faces charges over statements on Algeria's borders with Morocco, with a verdict expected on March 27.

Boualem Sansal, arrested in November 2024 under Article 87 bis of the Algerian Penal Code, has been accused of offenses including 'attacking national unity' and 'outrage to a constituted body.'
The trial, lasting less than 30 minutes, concluded with the prosecutor requesting a 10-year prison sentence and a fine of one million dinars.
Sansal, who dismissed his legal team, defended himself in court with only a court-appointed public defender present.
French officials, including President Macron, have called for Sansal's release, citing concerns over his health and the perceived political nature of the trial.
The case has intensified tensions between France and Algeria, highlighting broader issues of freedom of expression and political dissent in Algeria.