Algeria’s Criminal Court of Dar El Beïda on Thursday sentenced renowned 80-year-old French-Algerian writer and outspoken critic Boualem Sansal to five years in prison and fined him 500,000 Algerian dinars.
French lawyer François Zimeray, who represented Sansal in the early stages of the case, said the verdict betrayed the meaning of the word justice and urged the Algerian president to intervene on humanitarian grounds.
The writer was convicted under Article 87 bis of the Algerian Penal Code, which criminalizes “any act that threatens state security, national unity, territorial integrity, the stability of institutions, or their normal functioning” as a terrorist or subversive act.
Sansal was arrested on November 16 upon his arrival at Algiers Airport and was subsequently interrogated by the Algerian Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office. His arrest followed an interview with the French far-right media outlet Frontières, during which Sansal questioned Algeria’s territorial integrity, suggesting that parts of western Algeria historically belonged to Morocco. He attributed the longstanding tensions between the two countries to territorial adjustments made during French colonial rule. According to Sansal, the French administration had annexed areas of eastern Morocco and incorporated them into Algeria before its independence in 1962. He further alleged that Algeria had sought Morocco’s support for its independence in 1954 by promising to return the annexed lands, but he later reneged on this commitment.
Last week, during a court hearing before the investigating judge of the third chamber, Sansal responded to charges stemming from his writings and public statements. He reaffirmed his loyalty to Algeria, declaring: “I am Algerian, I love my country, and my patriotism is beyond question.” He argued that his publications were merely an exercise of his right to free expression, as guaranteed to every Algerian citizen, and insisted that he never intended for his statements to be perceived as a threat to state security. During the same hearing, prosecutors requested a 10-year prison sentence and a fine of one million dinars against him.
Sansal chose to represent himself and dismissed his legal team, including Zimeray, after the latter was denied a visa. Zimeray previously condemned the trial as secretive and unjust, arguing that it violated fundamental principles of due process and describing Sansal’s detention as both cruel and unfair.
Moreover, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed concern regarding Sansal’s health following the ruling. Speaking to reporters during a press briefing, he reiterated that Sansal should receive proper medical care and be released. Macron previously called for a swift resolution, stressing that the matter was one of humanity, dignity, and humanitarian concern.
The right to a fair trial is protected under Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantee a fair public hearing and the presumption of innocence. In recent years, Algeria has witnessed a pattern of arbitrary arrests and prosecutions targeting journalists, human rights defenders, and peaceful activists. Rights groups have noted that many individuals have been detained for exercising fundamental freedoms such as freedom of expression, belief, and peaceful assembly.
