‘Horrific’: Ailing author Sansal ‘caught up’ in ever-escalating Franco-Algerian diplomatic fallout

An Algerian court has upheld the five-year prison sentence of French-Algerian author Boualem Sansal, rejecting prosecutors’ appeal for a harsher 10-year term. Sansal, author of 2084: The End of the World, was convicted in March under Algeria’s anti-terrorism laws for “undermining national unity.” The case has sparked alarm over free expression and heightened tensions with France. It’s turned Sansal into an unlikely cause célèbre, drawing support from francophone writers to far-right politicians.For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24’s François Picard welcomes Dr. Todd Shepard, Author and Arthur O. Lovejoy Professor of History at Johns Hopkins Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.