Overview

• Boualem Sansal, a 75-year-old Franco-Algerian writer, was transferred back to prison near Algiers after a recent hospital stay for health issues.
• The French government, citing concerns about Sansal's health, has been in contact with his wife and lawyers but has been denied consular access by Algerian authorities.
• Sansal has been detained since mid-November under Article 87 bis of Algeria's Penal Code, which addresses terrorism and subversion-related offenses.
• French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has expressed readiness to engage with Algerian officials to address Sansal's case and broader diplomatic tensions between the two nations.
• Reports suggest that Sansal’s detention may be linked to controversial statements he made in 2024, which were perceived as critical of Algeria and aligned with Moroccan territorial claims.