Press release of 20, March 2025
Boualem Sansal faces ten years in prison
A swift trial against the Algerian-French writer Boualem Sansal began today at the criminal court in Dar El Beida near Algiers. The public prosecutor demanded a ten-year prison sentence for the 80-year-old writer, who has been awarded the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. Sansal had to be represented by a court-appointed defence lawyer. The verdict is expected on 27 March.
Deniz Yücel, spokesperson for PEN Berlin, said: »What we are witnessing here is a judicial farce. We are concerned that the verdict has already been determined before this swift trial began. This is how rogue states act.«
Sansal was arrested at Algiers airport on 16 November 2024 and is charged with »acts against state security«. The charges relate to comments Sansal made in an interview, in which he expressed the view that Morocco’s borders were redrawn in favour of Algeria during the French colonial era. Sansal had been subjected to harassment and threats for some time because of his uncompromising criticism of the Algerian regime and political Islam, which is why he settled in France last year.
PEN Berlin strongly condemns the proceedings and demands the immediate release of Boualem Sansal. We urge the German government to firmly stand up for the writer and to do everything in its power to ensure that he is released immediately. The time for action is now.
PEN Berlin. We stand by our word.