Algerian Writer Boualem Sansal Faces New Charges of Espionage

The 75-year-old author, detained since November, is accused of sharing sensitive information with foreign entities, escalating tensions between Algeria and France.

• Boualem Sansal, a prominent Algerian writer and critic of the Algerian regime, has been charged with 'intelligence with foreign entities' after a court hearing in Algiers.
• The charges allege that Sansal provided sensitive security and economic information to the French ambassador in Algeria, though his lawyer has dismissed the accusations as baseless and retaliatory.
• Sansal, who has been imprisoned since November 2024, is also reportedly in poor health, refusing medical treatment and engaging in a hunger strike.
• The case has heightened diplomatic tensions between Algeria and France, with Paris under pressure to advocate for Sansal's release while maintaining broader bilateral relations.
• Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has publicly commented on the case, suggesting it is part of broader geopolitical disputes, including France's stance on the Sahara conflict.

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