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French-Algerian Writer Boualem Sansal's Detention Raises International Concerns

French officials express alarm over the health and legal circumstances of the imprisoned author, while Algerian authorities dispute claims of a hunger strike.

Mi-décembre, la chambre d’accusation de la cour d’appel d’Alger a rejeté la demande de remise en liberté de Boualem Sansal.
L’écrivain et journaliste algérien Kamel Daoud prononce un discours lors d’une manifestation de soutien à l’écrivain franco-algérien Boualem Sansal à l’Institut du Monde Arabe de Paris; à Paris, le 18 février 2025.
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Overview

  • Boualem Sansal, a prominent Franco-Algerian writer, has been detained in Algeria since November 2024 under charges related to state security.
  • French officials, including the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, have voiced serious concerns about Sansal's health, morale, and legal representation.
  • Sansal's French lawyer claims the writer began a hunger strike to protest alleged pressure to change his legal counsel, but Algerian authorities deny this and assert his medical treatment is ongoing.
  • Reports suggest Algerian officials pressured Sansal to replace his lawyer with one who is not Jewish, a demand the writer reportedly found deeply offensive.
  • Sansal's detention follows his critical remarks about the Algerian regime and its position on the Sahara conflict, further straining France-Algeria relations.