Algerian authorities have confirmed the arrest of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who is currently in custody in a prison near Algiers, facing charges related to alleged actions undermining the “national unity” and “territorial integrity” of Algeria, according to French news outlets.
The arrest, confirmed upon his arrival from France at Algiers airport on Saturday, stems from Sansal’s remarks in an interview with a French media outlet in October, in which he reportedly questioned the legitimacy of Algeria’s historical borders. In particular, he suggested that parts of western Algeria, including the city of Oran, could be claimed by Morocco. These comments have sparked significant controversy in Algeria, with officials condemning them as “revisionist” and “divisive.”
The news reports said that Algeria’s news agency APS criticized Sansal’s statements as an affront to Algeria’s sovereignty, accusing him of “denying the existence, independence, history, and sovereignty of the nation” while also alleging that France was defending a “negationist” figure. The agency further accused the French government of endorsing such views, citing President Emmanuel Macron’s public support for the writer.
Sansal is currently awaiting the formal commencement of legal proceedings. The Algerian regime has yet to release further details regarding the specific charges or the location of his detention.
The writer, 75, known for his outspoken ideas against both the Algerian government and religious fundamentalism, is a long-term critic of the rise of Islamist extremism in his home country and the subsequent Algerian civil war. Known as the Black Decade, the civil war killed 200,000 people between 1992 and 2002.