Following an appeal by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Algeria has agreed to pardon the French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal on humanitarian grounds. The novelist arrived in Germany for medical treatment.
Algeria's presidency stated on Wednesday that it would pardon French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who was jailed on charges of "undermining national unity."
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier had previously urged Algeria to release the 81-year-old novelist, citing his age and deteriorating health.
After being pardoned, the writer was transferred to Berlin for medical treatment. Sansal "has landed and is on his way to hospital", Steinmeier's spokeswoman Cerstin Gammelin told AFP.
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According to his family, Salas has prostate cancer. His lawyer says the writer's health deteriorated in prison.
Five-year sentence for remarks on colonialism
Boualem Sansal is a civil servant-turned-novelist, best known for his essays and short stories critical of religious radicalism, colonialism, and the Algerian government.
He has received a series of prestigious French awards for his work, as well as the 2011 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade.
Sansal was arrested last year at Algiers International Airport while arriving from France. There, he had made controversial remarks on Algeria's borders under French colonial rule during an interview with far-right French outlet Frontieres.
Upon his arrest in Algeria, he was detained, and in March this year, under application of anti-terror legislation, sentenced to five years in prison for undermining national unity and security, among other charges.
His case drew sharp criticism from France and deepened the diplomatic rift between Paris and Algiers. The ties between both nations were already strained after Paris had recognized Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara — a disputed territory in which Algeria backs pro-independence forces.
Pardon on humanitarian grounds
Steinmeier's Monday appeal for Sansal's release echoed similar calls by fellow writers, human rights groups, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
On Wednesday, the statement by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called Steinmeier's appeal for Sansal's release "noteworthy for its humanitarian nature and motives."
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Algeria says that Germany will be responsible for transporting and treating Sansal.
French Prime Minister Sebastian Lecornu has expressed relief over Sansal's release. "We hope he'll be able to rejoin his loved ones as soon as possible and receive treatment," he said at the National Assembly.
Maren Sass with AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko
