Detention of Algerian Writer Boualem Sansal Sparks International Legal Challenge

The 80-year-old author has been held in Algeria since November 2024 under unclear charges, with his lawyer escalating the case to the United Nations.

Boualem Sansal, a prominent Franco-Algerian writer, has been detained in Algeria since November 2024 on charges including 'endangering state security.'
His lawyer, François Zimeray, has been unable to meet Sansal or access his legal case files, citing severe restrictions that make a fair defense impossible.
Sansal’s detention conditions have worsened, with reports of health concerns, isolation, and pressure to change legal representation, though these claims remain unconfirmed.
International bodies, including the United Nations and potentially the African Union, are being approached to address what Zimeray describes as an 'arbitrary detention' violating human rights treaties.
Observers link Sansal’s case to strained diplomatic relations between France and Algeria, with his supporters organizing events to maintain global attention on his plight.