Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who was arrested under unclear circumstances on November 16 at Algiers airport upon his arrival from France, « will see a prosecutor » on Monday, his lawyer François Zimeray, appointed by Gallimard Publishing to represent him, announced.
« He will see a prosecutor today, » the lawyer confirmed, while emphasizing that he had « no specific information » regarding the health or detention conditions of the 75-year-old writer, known for his stance against religious fundamentalism, authoritarianism, and anti-Semitism.
« Until now, he has not had access to a lawyer. A lawyer should be appointed to him by the bar association of Algiers, with whom I had a meeting yesterday, » Zimeray added, stressing the importance that an Algerian lawyer, preferably chosen by Sansal, be allowed to represent him, and calling for a « fair trial. »
In an op-ed published Saturday on the website of the weekly Le Point, numerous writers, including Nobel laureates Annie Ernaux, Jean-Marie Le Clézio, Orhan Pamuk, and Wole Soyinka, as well as Salman Rushdie and Roberto Saviano, expressed their support and demanded the « immediate release » of Boualem Sansal. This op-ed was initiated by Kamel Daoud, winner of the 2024 Goncourt Prize for his book Houris, which deals with the massacres of the « Black Decade » in Algeria. Daoud is also a columnist for Le Point.
Other intellectuals, such as Rami Aomar, author of Le printemps du terrorisme en Algérie, and Mohamed Sifaoui, a journalist and political analyst who describes the Algerian military regime as a « rogue state, » also expressed their solidarity with Sansal. « We cannot remain silent. It is about freedom, the right to culture, and our own lives as writers targeted by this terror, » they said.
Philippe Claudel, president of the Goncourt Academy, described the silence surrounding Boualem Sansal’s disappearance as « very worrying » on Franceinfo. French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed his deep concern about the situation.
Meanwhile, Algeria’s official news agency APS accused France of defending a « denier » who challenges Algeria’s history and sovereignty, labeling Boualem Sansal as a « useful pawn. »
These events occur in a tense diplomatic context between France and Algeria, following France’s support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara.