France’s President Emmanuel Macron criticized Algerian authorities on Monday for detaining Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal during a speech to France’s ambassadors at the Élysée Palace, Le Figaro reported.
The 75-year-old author, known for his criticism of the Algerian regime, was arrested in mid-November in Algiers to the outcry of journalists and free speech defenders in and outside France.
“The Algeria we hold so dear, with which we share so many children and histories, is dishonoring itself by preventing a gravely ill man from receiving medical care. This is not worthy of what Algeria represents,” Macron said.
Calling for Sansal’s immediate release, Macron described the writer as a “freedom fighter” and criticized his detention as “entirely arbitrary.”
Sansal, an open critic of the Algerian government, was charged with “undermining state security” and has been held in a medical facility since mid-December due to his deteriorating health. Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune labeled Sansal an “imposter” sent by France, offering no further details on the accusations.
The writer, renowned for his novel 2084: The End of the World, was naturalized as a French citizen in 2024. He faces charges under Article 87 bis of Algeria’s penal code, which criminalizes acts perceived as “terrorist or subversive,” targeting state security and institutional stability.
Sansal’s arrest may be linked to comments he made during an interview with the French outlet Frontières. In the interview, he reportedly voiced support for Morocco’s claims over the disputed Sahara and criticized what he called “an unjust colonial-era territorial division favoring Algeria.”
The detention comes amidst escalating tensions between Paris and Algiers. Relations soured further after Macron, in July, officially recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Sahara—a move sharply opposed by Algeria.
Sansal’s arrest has now become a symbol of the tense relationship between France and Algeria following Paris’ support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan.