Algeria Pardons French-Algerian Novelist Boualem Sansal

Published 14 hours ago

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Above: A poster with the photo of Boualem Sansal and the message Freedom for Boualem Sansal, in front of the town hall of the 16th arrondissement, in Paris, France, on Aug. 15, 2025. Image copyright: Henrique Campos/Hans Lucas/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Boualem Sansal’s release marks a victory for intellectual courage. Pardoned after international appeals, including from Germany and France, he emerges as a symbol of resistance to both dogma and despotism. His ordeal proves that the written word can still threaten power. Freed at 81, Sansal stands for the idea that truth, once spoken, cannot be imprisoned — even by a nation he once served.

France 24 Litterature Northafricapost

Establishment-critical narrative

Sansal’s pardon is less an act of mercy than a gesture in geopolitical theater. By framing him as a "freedom fighter," France and Europe turn an internal Algerian issue into a moral drama that flatters their own image. His release, secured through Western pressure, revives the colonial dynamic he claims to despise — where intellectuals become tools of soft power, and sovereignty bends to diplomacy and selective concern.

Middle East Eye Valdai Club

Editor's Note

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