Overview

• French President Emmanuel Macron stated he is confident about the release of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who is serving a five-year prison sentence in Algeria.
• Sansal, 75, was sentenced on March 27, 2025, for remarks about Algeria’s territorial heritage during the French colonial era, which were deemed controversial by Algerian authorities.
• Macron attributed his optimism to the ‘special attention’ the case is receiving from Algerian authorities, as noted during his visit to the Festival du Livre in Paris.
• Diplomatic tensions between France and Algeria, exacerbated by Sansal’s arrest and broader geopolitical disputes, have recently eased following a March 31 call between Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
• The French government has emphasized its hope that Algeria will take steps to allow Sansal to regain his freedom, with Macron underscoring the importance of his ability to resume writing and access medical care.