The 80-year-old Franco-Algerian novelist and essayist has been detained in Algeria since his arrest on November 16 at Algiers airport.
The request for the release of Boualem Sansal was rejected this Wednesday, December 11, by the Algerian justice system, we learned Le Figaro. Boualem Sansal will remain in prison. The 80-year-old Franco-Algerian novelist and essayist has been detained in Algeria since his arrest on November 16 at Algiers airport.
According to our information, the Algerian justice system rejected the appeal for release filed by François Zimeray, the French lawyer mandated by Gallimard. Heard by the Algiers anti-terrorism prosecution, Boualem Sansal was placed under arrest warrant under article 87 bis of the Algerian Penal Code, which punishes all attacks on state security, after comments on the borders between Algeria and Morocco in an interview with the media marked on the right, Borders.
François Zimeray declared on Monday that he had not been “authorized to go to Algeria in order to prepare his defense jointly with Algerian lawyers”. Boualem Sansal was therefore represented by the two lawyers appointed by the president of Algiers. His case must now be sent back to the investigating judge, according to the Algerian government daily El Moudjahid.
