Algeria: Novelist Boualem Sansal sentenced to five years in prison
Photo Credit: ActuaLitté via Creative Commons
“We are shocked by the court’s decision to convict Boualem Sansal on bogus charges, solely in retaliation for his legitimate exercise of his right to freedom of expression. No one should face persecution for peacefully expressing their views, even if the government disagrees or disapproves of them. Sansal’s conviction must be quashed, and he should be released immediately,” said Burhan Sönmez, President of PEN International.
27 March 2025: PEN International strongly condemns the sentencing of prominent Franco-Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal, 80, to five years in prison and reiterates its call for his immediate and unconditional release. PEN International is gravely concerned about Sansal’s right to a fair trial and denying him access to a lawyer of his choice. The organisation calls on the Algerian authorities to ensure that Sansal has adequate access to medical care, family visits, and a lawyer of his choosing, pending his release.
On 27 March, A court in Dar El Beida, near Algiers, sentenced Franco-Algerian author Boualem Sansal to five years in prison and a fine of 500,000 Algerian dinars ($3,730) after he was convicted of national security-related charges.
According to media sources, Sanal started a hunger strike in February 2025 in protest of his arbitrary imprisonment, further raising concerns about his health and well-being in custody while reportedly suffering from cancer. In the space of one month since his initial arrest on 16 November last year, Sansal has been hospitalised on two separate occasions due to his fragile health, raising significant concerns for his well-being. Algerian authorities have reportedly pressured Sansal to change his French lawyer, who was denied an entry visa to Algeria, preventing him from representing Sansal before the court.
Background:
On 16 November 2024, Algerian authorities arrested Franco-Algerian author Boualem Sansal upon arrival at Algiers airport, Algeria. His whereabouts remained unknown for over a week, during which he was denied access to his family and legal counsel, contrary to international law. Sansal was subjected to interrogations in the absence of his lawyer, in violation of his right to a fair trial. He was subsequently charged with national security-related offences under article 87 bis of the Algerian Penal Code, a provision criticized by UN experts for its frequent use against government critics, including human rights defenders. According to his legal team, the charges are based on previous statements he made to the media that were interpreted as threatening Algeria's national security.
For more information on Franco-Algerian author Boualem Sansal, click here: https://www.pen-international.org/cases/boualem-sansal
For more information on the situation of freedom of expression across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), including Algeria, please see the PEN International 2024 MENA regional overview: https://www.pen-international.org/mena-overview-2025
Note to Editors:
For more information, please contact Mina Thabet, Head of the MENA Region, at PEN International, email: [email protected]
For media queries, please contact Sabrina Tucci, PEN International Communications and Campaigns Manager, [email protected]