Jailed French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal was on his way to Germany for medical treatment on Wednesday after Algiers agreed to a German request that he be pardoned.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who on Monday had urged Algeria to free the 81-year-old, confirmed he was en route and thanked Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune for the “humanitarian gesture”.

Germany has taken charge of the transfer and treatment of Sansal, who has prostate cancer, according to his family.

Sansal was given a five-year jail term in March, accused of undermining Algeria’s territorial integrity after he told a far-right French outlet last year that France had unjustly transferred Moroccan territory to Algeria during the 1830 to 1962 colonial period.

Algeria views those ideas — which align

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