What changed

European Parliament resolution on the case of Boualem Sansal in Algeria

B100090/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Boualem Sansal in Algeria

(2025/2512(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to itsRule previous150(5) resolutionsof onits Algeria,Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas on 16 November 2024, Boualem Sansal, internationally renowned French-Algerian writer, was arrested by the police at Algiers airport on charges of “undermining state security”; whereas the health situation of the 75-year-old author is very fragile; whereas the charges stem from comments that Sansal made about the colonial-era borders between Algeria and Morocco, accusing the Algerian government of inventing the Polisario Front to destabilise Morocco;

A. whereas on 16 November 2024 the Algerian authorities arrested French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who had publicly taken a robust stance against the authoritarian regime, calling for freedom of expression in Algeria; whereas his whereabouts remained unknown for over a week, during which time he was denied access to his family and legal counsel, contrary to international law; whereas Sansal was interrogated without his lawyer, violating his right to a fair trial; whereas he was subsequently charged with national security-related offences under Article 87bis of the Algerian Penal Code, a provision frequently used against government critics, including human rights defenders; whereas Sansal has been hospitalised several times;

B. whereas Boualem Sansal has been criticising the Algerian regime for decades; whereas the author has reported extensively on the political and social grievances in Algeria, the ongoing and everyday violence of the Islamists, and the intimidation of the government against dissidents; whereas Sansal has warned against the dangers of political Islam and the Islamisation of France and has also pointed at the human tragedies surrounding migration movements;

B. whereas Algeria is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; whereas Algeria has undertaken to respect and promote freedom of expression in full compliance with its international obligations, the EU-Algeria partnership priorities, and its Constitution; whereas new amendments to the Penal Code were adopted in 2024 imposing significant restrictions on freedom of expression;

C. whereas Christians in Algeria endure multiple forms of discrimination in their daily lives; whereas of the 47 churches that belong to the Protestant Church in Algeria, only one remains open;

C. whereas freedom of expression in Algeria has deteriorated, with the country falling to 139th place on the 2024 World Press Freedom Index; whereas journalists have been placed under increasing pressure and are often detained and prosecuted; whereas at least 215 people are being held in Algeria as prisoners of opinion, according to Algerian human rights defenders; whereas censorship, trials and harsh punishment of independent media, often accused of colluding with foreign powers against national security, continue to increase;

D. whereas relations between the EU and Algeria are based on the 2002 Association Agreement, that entered into force in 2005; whereas the EU-Algeria partnership enshrines political dialogue, the rule of law and legal and judicial cooperation; whereas EU bilateral allocation to Algeria for 2021-2024 amounts to 160 million Euro and is complemented by other programmes to promote among other things the protection of individual rights (1.6 million Euro for 2021-2024);

D. whereas between 2021 and 2024 the EU disbursed EUR 213 million to Algeria under the Multiannual Indicative Programme;

1. Is of the opinion that nobody should be detained for uttering an opinion; calls for the immediate release of Boualem Sansal; welcomes, in this regard, the petition of prominent writers including the likes of Kamel Daoud, Salman Rushdie and Orhan Pamuk;

1. Condemns the arrest and detention of Boualem Sansal and calls for his immediate and unconditional release;

2. Expresses its concern about the discrimination against the Christian minority and the closure of non-Muslim places of worship in Algeria; calls, in this regard, for a thorough evaluation and monitoring of the financial assistance that has been disbursed to Algeria to promote the protection of rights of people belonging to religious minorities;

2. Equally condemns the arrests of all other activists, political prisoners, journalists, human rights defenders and others detained or sentenced for exercising their right to freedom of opinion and expression, including journalist Abdelwakil Blamm and writer Tadjadit Mohamed, and calls for their release;

3. Calls on the Algerian authorities to refrain from strong verbal accusations against Member States of the EU; condemns the use of the law and legal procedures by Algerian authorities to try to silence or sanction a European Parliament Member for giving political comments;

3. Urges the EU institutions and the EU Delegation to publicly share their concerns with the Algerian authorities, and to organise a medical mission to assess Sansal’s health;

4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European External Action Service, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the President, government and parliament of Algeria.

4. Calls on the Algerian authorities to review all repressive laws restricting freedoms, in particular Articles 87bis, 95bis and 196bis of Algeria’s Penal Code, and the judiciary’s independence, in order to protect the freedom of the press as enshrined in Article 54 of Algeria’s Constitution;

5. Reiterates, as enshrined in the EU-Algeria Partnership Priorities, the importance of the rule of law in order to consolidate freedom of expression; stresses that renewing this agreement must be based upon continued and substantial progress in the aforementioned domains and underscores that all future disbursements of EU funds should consider the progress made in this regard;

6. Instructs its President to have this resolution translated into Arabic and forwarded to the Algerian Authorities, the Commission and the VP/HR.