The Algerian presidency has granted clemency to imprisoned writer Boualem Sansal, following a direct appeal from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The decision, announced Wednesday, marks a significant, albeit potentially fraught, moment in the relationship between Germany and Algeria and raises critical questions surrounding freedom of expression within Algeria.
Sansal, a dual Algerian-French citizen and recipient of the prestigious German Book Trade Peace Prize, was sentenced to five years in prison in March 2025 on charges of undermining Algeria’s territorial integrity. The conviction stemmed from statements where Sansal questioned historical border agreements, suggesting that Algeria may have received territories belonging to Morocco during the French colonial era. These remarks, deemed politically sensitive, were used to justify the charges.
President Steinmeier, in a rare and direct intervention, personally requested clemency from his Algerian counterpart, highlighting Sansal’s numerous readers and friends in Germany. He characterized the pardon as a “significant humanitarian gesture” indicative of the “quality of relations and trust” between the two nations. Sansal is currently en route to Germany for medical care.
While the pardon has been publicly welcomed by Berlin, it is likely to draw scrutiny regarding the broader political climate in Algiers. The initial conviction and subsequent appeal process underscored the Algerian government’s sensitivity to perceived challenges to its national narrative and its willingness to utilize legal avenues to silence dissent. Critics argue that the charges against Sansal were politically motivated and a thinly veiled attempt to suppress critical voices within Algeria.
The intervention by President Steinmeier, however, could also be interpreted as a subtle but powerful signal concerning human rights and freedom of expression – sensitive topics in the context of Germany’s economic and political engagement with Algeria. The episode is likely to fuel debate about the limits of diplomatic influence when addressing human rights concerns in strategically important partnerships and the potential for external pressure to impact domestic legal systems in nations like Algeria.