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Algeria has pardoned celebrated Algerian-French writer Boualem Sansal, imprisoned a year ago on charges of undermining national security, following a personal request from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Sansal, 80, who has cancer, was sentenced to five years after remarks that angered Algeria over Western Sahara—a dispute that’s central to Algeria’s tense relations with France. His release, granted on humanitarian grounds, underscores Algeria’s growing diplomatic warmth with Germany while highlighting its ongoing friction with France, its former colonial ruler. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the move but claimed France’s involvement in the outcome. Sansal’s pardon reignites debates on free expression and the fragile balance between politics, art, and diplomacy in North Africa.
The New York Times