An Algerian appeals court on Tuesday upheld the five-year prison sentence handed to French-Algerian author Boualem Sansal, convicted of “undermining national unity” over comments made about Algeria’s territorial borders.
Sansal, 80, who resides in France, was arrested during a visit to Algeria in November and sentenced in March. The charges stem from an interview he gave to a French media outlet in which he appeared to support Morocco’s claim that parts of Algerian territory were originally seized by France from Morocco during the colonial era.
Sansal denied the accusations, insisting that his remarks were within the bounds of free speech and not intended to offend Algeria.
In response to the ruling, the French Foreign Ministry expressed “regret” and renewed its call for Algerian authorities to show clemency.
“France urges a swift, humanitarian and dignified resolution to the case of our compatriot Boualem Sansal, given his age and health condition,” the ministry said in a statement. French President Emmanuel Macron had previously appealed for Sansal’s release.
Relations between France and Algeria have grown increasingly strained in recent months, particularly after Paris recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara. The rift has widened over Algeria’s refusal to repatriate deportees from France and Sansal’s detention. Both governments have since expelled diplomats in tit-for-tat moves.