Algeria: President grants pardon to writer Boualem Sansal

Milan, Nov. 12 (LaPresse) – The President of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has decided to grant a pardon to Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, imprisoned since November 16, 2024, accepting the mediation offer from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who proposed transferring Sansal to Germany to receive treatment. This was reported by the Algerian presidency, which stated that according to the proposal, the German state will cover the costs of the writer’s transfer and medical care. The Algerian presidency, cited by local media, said that Steinmeier asked Tebboune “for a humanitarian gesture that includes a pardon for the writer Boualem Sansal, who has been imprisoned for a year”. “Given Boualem Sansal’s advanced age and worsening health conditions, the German president proposed allowing him to travel to Germany to receive treatment”, the Algerian presidency added. Sansal, 81, known for his critical stance towards the Algerian authorities, had been sentenced to five years in prison on charges of “endangering national security”.