The Law and Democracy Support Foundation strongly condemns the decision of the Algerian Court of Appeal, issued in early July, upholding the first-instance ruling against Algerian-French writer and novelist Boualem Sansal, sentencing him to five years in prison after convicting him of “undermining national unity” in case No. 87/2024, based on statements he had made earlier to the media.
Sansal had given an interview to a French media outlet in October last year, in which he claimed that Algeria had acquired territories originally belonging to Morocco during the French colonial period. The Algerian authorities considered these remarks harmful to national unity, subsequently referring him to trial, which resulted in a five-year prison sentence.
Karim Abdelrady, Executive Director of the Law and Democracy Support Foundation, stated: “This harsh sentence against an 80-year-old writer over media statements is a severe blow to freedom of expression in the country and reflects a dangerous regression in the state of human rights and freedoms. The Algerian authorities must not use political disputes as a pretext to prosecute opinion-holders and imprison them.”
The Law and Democracy Support Foundation calls on the Algerian authorities to respect their international obligations, immediately release Boualem Sansal, take into account his health condition, drop all charges against him, and ensure the protection and respect of freedom of opinion and expression in the country.
