As soon as the verdict was announced, the news spread from one shore of the Mediterranean to the other. Writer Boualem Sansal, at the heart of the diplomatic standoff that has pitted France against Algeria for months, was sentenced Tuesday, July 1, by the Algiers appeals court to five years in prison and a fine of 500,000 dinars (approximately €3,300), notably for “undermining national unity.” The sentence matched the one handed down at first instance, but was lighter than the request made by prosecutors, who on June 24 had sought 10 years in prison and a fine of one million dinars (about €6,600).
French Prime Minister François Bayrou was the first to respond, speaking on the sidelines of a visit to the Interior Ministry to discuss the heatwave. “The situation Boualem Sansal is being subjected to is one that all French people and the French government find intolerable, and rightly so,” said Bayrou. “Now that the sentence has been handed down, we can imagine pardon measures, particularly in view of our compatriot’s health, will be taken.” Such leniency could be granted by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on the occasion of Independence Day on July 5.
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