An Algerian court on Tuesday upheld a five-year prison sentence against dual-national author Boualem Sansal, whose case has strained ties with France.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.

Franco-Algerian author Boualem Sansal is facing five years in prison in Algeria after he lost an appeal against his conviction for “undermining national unity.”

PARIS — An Algerian appeals court has upheld a five-year prison sentence against French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, according to his supporters. Sansal, a vocal critic of the Algerian regime, has been behind bars since being arrested as he stepped off a plane in Algiers in November. He was convicted in March for undermining national unity.