Patriots Group Nominates Boualem Sansal for the 2025 Sakharov Prize
Strasbourg, 09/09/2025 - The Patriots Group in the European Parliament is proud to announce its official nomination of Boualem Sansal for the 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. This nomination stands as a clear commitment to the fundamental values of freedom of speech, artistic expression, and resistance against authoritarianism.
Born in 1949 in Algeria, Boualem Sansal, a Franco-Algerian writer, has emerged as one of the most fearless and principled voices in the French and Arab literary world. A trained engineer and economist, Sansal served as a senior civil servant in Algeria’s Ministry of Industry before turning to writing at the age of 50. Over the past two decades, he has received numerous literary prizes and accolades. His novels offer powerful critiques of Islamism, corruption, and oppression, with a particular focus on the situation in Algeria. Mr. Sansal has consistently defended democratic values like freedom of expression despite increasing personal risk.
In November 2024, Mr. Sansal was arrested in Algeria after giving an interview to a French media outlet. He was charged with “undermining national unity”—a politically motivated accusation aimed at silencing his dissent. On 27 March 2025, despite suffering from prostate cancer and being denied access to his French lawyer, he was sentenced to five years in prison. This sentence was shamefully upheld by an Algerian appeals court on 1 July 2025. The European Parliament adopted a resolution on 23 January 2025 calling for Mr. Sansal’s immediate release, followed by a similar resolution from the French National Assembly in May 2025.
By awarding the Sakharov Prize to Boualem Sansal, the European Parliament would send a strong and unequivocal message in support of freedom of thought and artistic courage, and in solidarity with all those who dare to speak truth to power in the face of repression. The Patriots Group calls on all democratic forces in the European Parliament to join this initiative and uphold the Parliament’s commitment to human dignity, freedom, and justice.