Algeria – Boualem Sansal case: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacts to the statements of Emmanuel Macron

The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted this Tuesday, January 7, through a statement, to the declarations of French President Emmanuel Macron on Algeria and the case involving the Boualem Sansal writer.

According to the press release, “These words affect the honor of their author”. The ministry expressed its astonishment in the face of the French president’s statements, calling them as “Disincolt and light”and added: “The Algerian government has learned, with great amazement, words from the French president concerning Algeria, who dishonor above all the one who kept them. »»

In addition, Algerian diplomacy has denounced a “Unacceptable interference in an internal case”. “These declarations must be firmly rejected and condemned for what they represent: shameless and unacceptable interference in Algerian internal affairs”underlines the press release.

The ministry also clarified that what the French president presents as a question of freedom of expression is, according to Algeria, an erroneous and unfounded interpretation. The case in question is described as being “The questioning of the country’s territorial integrity, an offense punishable by sanctions according to Algerian legislation”.

The day before, Emmanuel Macron had commented on the detention of the Algerian-French writer Boualem Sansal, arrested in November 2024 in Algiers. He had declared that Algeria “Dishonor” By keeping the writer in detention, preventing a man seriously ill from receiving care. Speaking during the annual meeting with the French ambassadors at the Élysée, the French president had called on the Algerian authorities to release Boualem Sansal.