Overview
- The Algerian presidency granted a humanitarian pardon to the 81-year-old writer and approved his transfer to Germany, which is covering his transport and treatment.
- Sansal arrived in Berlin after the decision and told Kamel Daoud he hopes to reach Paris on Friday or Saturday, saying he is feeling "rather well."
- He was arrested in Algiers on November 16, 2024 and sentenced to five years in prison for "undermining national unity," a verdict upheld on July 1, 2025, after comments about Algeria’s western borders.
- German President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier publicly requested clemency on November 10, citing Sansal’s fragile health and age, and French leaders welcomed the move as a humane outcome.
- Diplomatic sources see a possible easing of Franco‑Algerian tensions, though other cases persist, including French journalist Christophe Gleizes, whose appeal is set for December 3.