German Mediation Secures Release of Algerian Writer Boualem Sansal

Algerian writer Boualem Sansal has been pardoned and released from house arrest. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune granted the pardon on Wednesday, allowing Sansal to travel to Berlin. Germany acted as a mediator to resolve the diplomatic situation. This behind-the-scenes effort provided a solution for both Algeria and France. The arrangement allowed Algeria to avoid the appearance of yielding to direct pressure from France, which had advocated for Sansal's release. Simultaneously, it enabled France to see the writer freed without a public confrontation. Sansal's case had strained relations between the two countries.