An Algerian court sentenced French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal to five years in jail yesterday for undermining national unity, prompting a call for his freedom from French President Emmanuel Macron.
Sansal, 80, has been detained in Algeria since November, spending time in hospital for ill health, and French authorities as well as fellow writers have called for his release.
Sansal has long been a critic of Algerian authorities, but he has regularly visited the country, and his books have been sold there without restrictions.
The court sentenced Sansal to five years in prison and a fine of about $3,700, private broadcaster Ennahar TV reported.
A diplomatic source confirmed the sentence.
The court charged him with “undermining national unity and publishing publications that threaten national security and stability.” However, Sansal, who was in court, denied the charges.
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