Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune Pardons Writer Boualem Sansal After German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's Appeal

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune granted a humanitarian pardon to French‑Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal after an appeal from German President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier.

“The pardon of the 81-year-old author comes after Germany appealed for his release on ‘humanitarian grounds’”

Al Jazeera

The Algerian presidency said Tebboune “responded positively” to Steinmeier’s request and that Germany would take responsibility for Sansal’s transfer and medical care.

Al Jazeera

Multiple outlets noted the pardon was framed as humanitarian and that it would enable Sansal’s transfer to Germany for treatment.

Sansal’s legal case and the charges behind his imprisonment were widely reported.

He was arrested around November 2024 and in March was handed a five-year sentence on charges variously described as "undermining national unity" or "undermining Algeria's territorial integrity", charges he denied.

AL-Monitor

Several reports say he was detained after comments on colonial-era borders that Algerian authorities said undermined national cohesion.

Sansal himself called the charges senseless and asked in court, "Are we holding a trial over literature?"

Reports consistently cite serious health concerns as a factor in the humanitarian pardon.

“ALGIERS, Nov 13, 2025 – Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has received a message of thanks from the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in appreciation of his humanitarian gesture in granting a pardon to writer Boualem Sansal, following a request from the German head of state, the Presidency of the Republic said Thursday in a statement”

AL24 News

Sansal's family and lawyers said he suffers from prostate cancer and that his condition deteriorated in detention.

Several outlets reported he was flown or transferred to Germany for immediate treatment.

Coverage notes that Germany will organize medical evacuation and care, and some reports said Sansal arrived in Germany and was taken to hospital the same day.

The case has been a diplomatic flashpoint that reflected and deepened strains between Algeria and France.

Reporting highlights different actors and effects.

BBC

France's leaders, including President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, publicly appealed for leniency and welcomed the pardon.

Several accounts say Germany's intervention, rather than direct French pressure, secured the transfer.

Observers and media link the broader bilateral rift to France's recognition of Morocco's claim over Western Sahara.

They note the episode fed tensions that included expulsions and diplomatic recalls.

Beyond the immediate pardon, several outlets framed the case as indicative of broader press-freedom and civil-liberties concerns in Algeria.

“Almost a year to the day since French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal was arrested on arrival at Algiers airport, the Algerian president has pardoned him and allowed him to leave the country”

BBC

They pointed to the use of anti-terrorism laws since the 2019 Hirak protests to curb dissent.

CityNews Halifax

Rights groups and media organizations demanded clemency.

Some reporting emphasized the pardon’s narrow scope - a single humanitarian clemency - without addressing the underlying laws and prosecutions used against critics.