Algerian writer Boualem Sansal sentenced to five years in prison

A court in Algeria has sentenced Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal to five years in prison, a decision made on Thursday, March 27. This ruling follows Sansal's detention since November and represents a lesser penalty than the ten years sought by the prosecution, according to an AFP correspondent present in the courtroom.

Sansal's French lawyer promptly urged the Algerian president to act with compassion.

At the center of a significant diplomatic crisis between Algeria and France, Sansal faced accusations of undermining the territorial integrity of Algeria. His comments regarding the colonial history of the region, specifically that Moroccan territory was ceded to Algeria during French colonization, have drawn ire from the military regime.

The correctional court in Dar El Beida, near Algiers, imposed a five-year sentence in the presence of the accused, who was also fined 500,000 Algerian dinars, approximately 3,500 euros.

During the proceedings on March 20, the prosecution had called for a decade-long sentence for the 80-year-old novelist, as noted by his French publisher, Gallimard.

Potential for presidential pardon?

Before Thursday's ruling, analysts speculated that the court's decision could play a pivotal role in easing the ongoing diplomatic tensions between Paris and Algiers. This crisis has been described as "the most severe in decades." Many anticipated a lighter sentence or a potential subsequent presidential pardon from Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

Sansal's arrest in November exacerbated already strained relations between Algeria and France, particularly following French President Emmanuel Macron's endorsement of Morocco's sovereignty over its Sahara region.

In response to Macron's statement, Algeria, which supports the Polisario Front, promptly recalled its ambassador and issued threats of retaliation. The French government's stance has been interpreted by Algeria as aligning with Morocco, its primary regional rival, with diplomatic relations between the two nations severed since the summer of 2021.