Algerian prosecutors have demanded 10 years in prison for French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, accused of undermining the territorial integrity of Algeria, Agence France-Presse reported, BTA reported.
AFP notes that the case has exacerbated already high tensions between Algeria and France.
The criminal court in Dar el-Beida, near the capital Algiers, will pronounce the verdict on Thursday in the case against the writer, who became known for his criticism of the Algerian authorities and Islamists, the media outlets “Eshourouq“ and T.S.A. reported. Sansal was arrested on November 16.
The case has heightened tensions between Paris and Algeria, whose relations have already deteriorated sharply since French President Emmanuel Macron approved a plan for autonomy for Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty in July 2024.
This territory, whose status has not yet been determined according to the United Nations, has been the scene of conflict for 50 years between Morocco, which de facto controls 80 percent of it, and Algerian-backed independence fighters from the Polisario Front.
Boulem Sansal, 75, is accused, among other things, of "undermining national unity, insulting an official body, practices that may harm the national economy, and possession of videos and publications that threaten the security and stability of the country," the statement said. AFP.
According to the prosecution, the writer made comments that undermined the territorial integrity of Algeria when, in comments last October for the considered far-right French media outlet “Frontière“, he reiterated Morocco's position that its territory was cut off during French colonization in favor of Algeria.