French officials are breathing a sigh of relief after veteran French-Algerian author Boualem Sansal was unexpectedly pardoned by Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and allowed to travel abroad—bringing an end to a year-long diplomatic standoff.
Sansal, 81, who has been at the centre of a fierce row between Algiers and Paris, was released following a direct humanitarian appeal from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The writer was flown to Germany aboard a military aircraft on Wednesday evening and immediately admitted to hospital for medical care.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who personally spoke with Sansal after his arrival in Germany, welcomed the development.
“France acted with calm and respect throughout this crisis. I thank President Tebboune for this gesture of humanity,” Macron said.
Germany’s Mediation Proves Decisive
Although France had made several attempts to negotiate a solution, the breakthrough reportedly came through Germany’s intervention. According to France’s ambassador to Algeria, Stéphane Romatet—recently recalled due to the escalating tensions—the relationship between Paris and Algiers had grown so strained that a trusted third party was essential.
President Steinmeier asked Tebboune to grant clemency on humanitarian grounds, citing the writer’s advanced age and deteriorating health. Sansal is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.
Tebboune said he responded positively due to the humanitarian nature of the request.
A Bitter Diplomatic Crisis
Sansal was sentenced to five years in prison in July for allegedly undermining national unity after questioning Algeria’s borders—charges seen by critics as politically motivated. The outspoken author has long been a fierce critic of Algeria’s leadership.
His arrest came during one of the worst downturns in France-Algeria relations in decades. Ties plummeted after France recognised Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara—an issue on which Algeria strongly backs the Polisario Front.
The crisis deepened earlier this year when an Algerian consular employee in France was arrested following the kidnapping of a government critic in Paris. Algeria called the incident an affront to its sovereignty.
Some French analysts blame the tensions on hardline positions taken by former Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. His recent replacement by Laurent Nuñez was widely interpreted as an attempt to reset relations.
Relief, but Tensions Still Simmer
Retailleau welcomed Sansal’s release, calling it a moment of “immense relief”. However, unresolved issues remain, including the case of French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, jailed for seven years in July for allegedly attempting to contact a member of a group banned in Algeria.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said efforts are ongoing to secure Gleizes’ freedom.