French-Algerian author Boualem Sansal was arrested on November 16, 2024, upon landing in Algiers. Ten days later, with no accesss to legal counsel, he was remanded into custody on national security charges. In December 2024, Sansal was hospitalized for the second time and his lawyer was denied a visa to Algeria to represent him. To protest being pressured to change his legal representation, Sansal began a hunger strike on February 24, 2025. On March 27, 2025, Sansal was sentenced to 5 years in prison and a fine of 500,000 dinars on charges of “undermining national unity.”
Boualem Sansal
Is case active: Yes
Designation:Literary writer
Country:Algeria
Region:Middle East and North Africa
Gender:Male
Status:Detained
Years active:2024