Algeria court to rule on bid to double writer’s jail term

An Algerian court is expected to deliver a verdict Tuesday on prosecutors’ bid to double the jail term of a dual-national author whose conviction has strained ties with France.

Boualem Sansal, 80, was first sentenced to five years behind bars on March 27 on charges related to undermining Algeria’s territorial integrity over comments made to a French media outlet.

The prosecutor general appealed last month and is seeking a 10-year prison sentence.

A prize-winning figure in North African modern…