**Algerian-French Author Sentenced to Five Years Amid Global Support for His Release**

*The recent sentencing of Boualem Sansal, a prominent Algerian-French writer, has ignited calls for justice from literary communities worldwide, as his legal ordeal raises serious concerns about freedom of expression in Algeria.*

Boualem Sansal, an Algerian-born writer and recent French citizen, was handed a five-year prison sentence in Algeria on Thursday, following his contentious comments regarding a territorial issue with Morocco. The writer’s comments were deemed as undermining national security, leading to his arrest last November. This decision has sent shockwaves through the literary community and elicited passionate responses from figures such as French President Emmanuel Macron, who has publicly advocated for Sansal’s release.

Sansal, who is approximately 80 years old and battling cancer, faced his trial without legal representation, a fact lamented by his French lawyer, Francois Zimeray. He decried the brief hearing— lasting only twenty minutes—as a gross miscarriage of justice: “Cruel detention, a forbidden defense, and ultimately five years in prison for an innocent writer.” Such sentiments resonate with a growing chorus of international authors and activists who view Sansal's sentencing as a violation of fundamental rights and freedoms.

Currently incarcerated at Kolea prison near Algiers, Sansal's case has become emblematic of a larger struggle against restrictive policies on free speech in Algeria, where individuals facing legal challenges often encounter significant obstacles to fair representation and trials. As calls for his release intensify, the global conversation around the importance of protecting authors and voices of dissent continues to grow.