{"id":5737,"date":"2025-04-02T12:47:41","date_gmt":"2025-04-02T09:47:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pen-greece.org\/?p=5737"},"modified":"2025-04-02T12:47:41","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T09:47:41","slug":"pen-international-algeria-novelist-boualem-sansal-sentenced-to-five-years-in-prison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pen-greece.org\/en\/pen-international-algeria-novelist-boualem-sansal-sentenced-to-five-years-in-prison\/","title":{"rendered":"PEN INTERNATIONAL\/ Algeria: Novelist Boualem Sansal sentenced to five years in prison"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo Credit: ActuaLitt\u00e9 via Creative Commons<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are shocked by the court\u2019s 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\u2019s conviction must be quashed, and he should be released immediately,\u201d <\/em>said Burhan S\u00f6nmez, President of PEN International.<\/strong><\/p>\n

27 March 2025: PEN International strongly condemns the sentencing of prominent Franco-Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal, 80, to five years in prison and\u00a0<\/strong>reiterates<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0its call for his immediate and unconditional release. PEN International is gravely concerned about Sansal\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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On 27 March, A court in Dar El Beida, near Algiers,\u00a0sentenced<\/a>\u00a0Franco-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.<\/p>\n

According to media\u00a0sources<\/a>, 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\u00a0reportedly<\/a>\u00a0suffering from cancer. In the space of one month since his initial arrest on 16 November last year, Sansal has been\u00a0hospitalised<\/a>\u00a0on two separate occasions due to his fragile health, raising significant concerns for his well-being. Algerian authorities have\u00a0reportedly<\/a>\u00a0pressured Sansal to change his French lawyer, who was denied an entry visa to Algeria, preventing him from representing Sansal before the court.<\/p>\n

Background:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u00a0charged<\/a>\u00a0with national security-related offences under article 87 bis of the Algerian Penal Code, a provision\u00a0criticized\u00a0<\/a>by\u00a0UN experts<\/a>\u00a0for 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.<\/p>\n

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