An Algerian French writer whose arrest in Algeria on accusations of undermining national unity and security inflamed tensions with France was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday.chancepg

The writer, Boualem Sansal, who was born in Algeria and became a French citizen last year, was arrested in November because of statements he made to French news media siding with Morocco in a territorial dispute with Algeria.

His detention raised an outcry from other authors worldwide, and his sentencing came after months of pleas for his freedom from the French president, Emmanuel Macron. France was once Algeria’s colonial ruler.

Mr. Sansal was tried and sentenced without being allowed access to legal counsel, according to his lawyer in France, Francois Zimeray.

“Cruel detention, 20 minutes of hearing, a forbidden defense and ultimately five years in prison for an innocent writer,” Mr. Zimeray said in a statement. The sentence, he said, “betrays the very meaning of the word justice.”

Among national universities,66cassino Princeton was ranked No. 1 again, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard. Stanford, which tied for third last year, fell to No. 4. U.S. News again judged Williams College the best among national liberal arts colleges. Spelman College was declared the country’s top historically Black institution.

Calls for school crackdowns have mounted with reports of cyberbullying among adolescents and studies indicating that smartphones, which offer round-the-clock distraction and social media access, have hindered academic instruction and the mental health of children.

Mr. Sansal, who was diagnosed with cancer and is believed to be about 80, is being held at Kolea prison, outside the capital, Algiers, according to Mr. Zimeray.

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