Some French Parties Exploited the Sansal Case to Interfere in Algeria’s Affairs

French MEP Rima Hassan sparked a major scandal by asserting that the French sought to exploit the imprisonment of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal to achieve an undeclared objective: interfering in Algeria’s internal affairs.

Rima emphasised that the case was merely a pretext for raising irrelevant issues, such as immigration, to harm Algerian interests.

This admission by the French MP of Palestinian origin came amidst widespread scepticism regarding the integrity of the French media in its handling of certain sensitive issues, particularly those concerning Algeria. It serves as documented evidence that freedom of expression in France has become merely a slogan for domestic consumption.

To underscore the seriousness of the accusations that undermine the credibility of the French media, MP Rima Hassan stipulated to Olivier Pérou of Le Monde and Charlotte Belaich of Libération, who had requested an interview with her, that she received their questions in writing and would respond to them in writing as well, to avoid any distortion or misrepresentation of her words.

On Saturday, November 29, 2025, the MP wrote on her X platform account: “I was contacted by Olivier Pérou (Le Monde) and Charlotte Belaïch (Libération) to answer their questions for the preparation of *La Meute 2*. Having already demonstrated their disregard for ethical rules, defamation, invasion of privacy, and fabricated quotes, I demanded written questions. Unsurprisingly, these were worthy of a CNEWS or JDD talk show, and I therefore refuse to meet with them”, she explained: “To protect readers from their methods and ensure transparency, I am publishing all the questions they sent me on November 24th, along with my answers, so that everyone can judge for themselves their tactics and how they will distort the facts in their second book”.

The journalists asked her: “Why did you defend your position against the resolution calling for the release of Boualem Sansal in January 2025? Did you ask your fellow members of La France Insoumise party to vote against it?”

Rima Hassan said she replied, writing: “The text in question was put on the agenda by a coalition of the right and far right; it was notably signed by Marion Le Pen”. She pointed out that “Sansal’s case was exploited for interference and diplomatic escalation with a neighbouring EU country. For example, amendments were tabled to introduce the issue of Algerian immigration, the case of Algerian influencers, and even to challenge the EU-Algeria agreement”.

The French MEP confirmed: “I obviously defended respect for Mr Sansal’s fundamental rights, and I myself tabled amendments to improve this text, which were not adopted: europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document… The final version of the resolution, as proposed, does not reflect a genuine desire to defend human rights. I attended all the speeches during the debate on this subject, the majority of which were monopolised by French members of parliament from the right and far right, primarily to criticise Algeria.

She went on to explain her position: “Voting against this resolution did not mean being opposed to Sansal’s release, but rather opposing the way his case was being exploited and disassociating ourselves from the way it was being politically promoted by the far right. Boualem Sansal himself rejected this far-right support.”

Rima Hassan also accused the French state of negligence in the Sansal case, citing its failure to employ diplomatic means: “In this affair, it is important to emphasise the responsibility of the French state, which did not use all the available diplomatic means at its disposal to secure Boualem Sansal’s release”.

The MEP did not clarify what she meant by “diplomatic means,” but anyone following Algerian-French relations knows that French politicians attempted to address the Sansal affair from a colonial perspective, acting according to a logic of power and weakness, rather than employing soft diplomacy. They believed Algeria would capitulate, which it did not, resulting in a significant diplomatic setback for France, as evidenced by the French themselves.

MEP Rima Hassan also revealed the suspicious intentions of the French media when she said that she was also asked about the purpose of her meeting with the Algerian ambassador in Brussels on December 18, to which she replied that “this meeting was officially registered in accordance with the European Parliament’s rules of procedure,” adding that “It was a perfectly routine meeting within the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Subcommittee on Human Rights, on which I sit. In this capacity, I meet not only with state actors but also with human rights defenders in Algeria, as I did on November 5, when I met with representatives of EuroMed Rights to discuss the human rights situation in Algeria.”