Boualem Sansal has been languishing behind the walls of Koléa prison, about thirty kilometers west of Algiers, for 361 days. This Wednesday, the President of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, granted him a pardon for humanitarian reasons, one year, almost a day after his arrest.
Abdelmadjid Tebboune certainly wants to avoid the embarrassment of such a warning. Weakened by prostate cancer, the French-Algerian novelist saw his prolonged imprisonment turn into state revenge. The author of “The Oath of the Barbarians” (Gallimard, 2013) has become a diplomatic burden for the regime. His entry into the Royal Academy of Belgium in October reignited international pressure.
