Algiers, November 23, 2024 — Boualem Sansal, the outspoken Franco-Algerian writer known for his critical views on the Algerian government and Islamism, was arrested by Algerian authorities on November 16, 2024. His detention, which went unconfirmed for several days, was officially acknowledged by the Algerian government on Friday, November 23, prompting widespread outrage within the literary community and among French politicians.
Sansal, who won the prestigious Grand Prix de la Francophonie in 2013 and the Grand Prix du roman in 2015, has long been an outspoken critic of Algeria’s political regime and Islamist influence. His arrest has drawn condemnation from various political figures in France, including members of the French government and intellectual circles, who have called for his immediate release.
However, the Algerian state-run news agency, Algérie Presse Service (APS), has launched a sharp attack against what it describes as the “Macronito-Zionist France” for expressing concern over Sansal’s arrest. The agency criticized the French reaction as part of a broader, ongoing campaign against Algeria’s sovereignty, accusing a faction of the French political and intellectual elite of harboring an “anti-Algerian” agenda. APS specifically named French figures such as Éric Zemmour, Marine Le Pen, and Valérie Pécresse, among others, claiming they were part of a “pro-Zionist” lobby working to undermine Algeria’s political independence.
In a scathing statement, APS decried the French “comical agitation” over Sansal’s detention, suggesting it was an attempt to discredit Algeria and promote foreign interference in its internal affairs. The agency further accused the French lobby of aligning itself with forces that, in its view, were hostile to Algeria’s national interests.
Sansal’s arrest is the latest chapter in the fraught relations between France and Algeria, which have been marked by tensions over issues of history, politics, and colonial legacies. The French government’s call for Sansal’s release has been met with sharp criticism from Algiers, where officials view the French response as an unwelcome interference in Algeria’s domestic matters.
As the situation develops, international human rights organizations and advocates for free expression have expressed concern over the writer’s detention, calling for transparency and fair treatment.
