Renowned French-Algerian author Boualem Sansal, who has been in detention in Algiers since his arrest on November 16 at the city’s airport, was indicted Tuesday under Algeria’s Article 87 bis on charges of “undermining the integrity of the national territory.”
For nearly a week, Algerian authorities neither confirmed his detention nor provided details, leaving his family and legal representatives in the dark. On Friday, Algeria’s state news agency APS finally acknowledged his arrest, though without clarifying the circumstances.
Sansal’s indictment, officially announced on Tuesday, includes state security charges tied to his political views and public statements on contentious regional issues.
With Sansal now facing potential life imprisonment or the death penalty under the Algerian regime’s so-called “terrorism law,” concerns over the government’s arrest of him for exercising his freedom of expression have sparked international outcry. Although Algeria has not carried out formal executions since 1993, its jails are notorious for torture and mistreatment of prisoners.
Sansal’s lawyer, François Zimeray, expressed concerns about his health, detention conditions, and the severe penalties he now faces.
Zimeray said that Sansal’s arrest appears to stem from his long-standing criticism of Algeria’s government, authoritarianism, and the politicization of religion. International rights and other organizations as well as the literary and intellectual community have raised alarms about the government’s repression of free speech.
The 75-year-old writer is renowned for his courage in addressing controversial topics. His debut novel, Le Serment des Barbares, tackled the rise of religious extremism during Algeria’s “Black Decade,” earning him international recognition.
Works like “Le Village de l’Allemand” and “2084: La fin du monde” solidified his reputation for confronting authoritarian regimes and exploring themes of identity, conflict, and societal decay.
Widespread outrage followed his disappearance a week and a half ago upon landing in Algiers from France.
French media, including Marianne and le Figaro spotlighted his unexplained disappearance. Since then, the literary world has rallied behind Sansal. Nobel laureates Annie Ernaux, J.M.G. Le Clézio, Orhan Pamuk, and Wole Soyinka, along with prominent authors such as Salman Rushdie and Leïla Slimani, signed a petition condemning his arrest.
In a statement, the writers called the situation “a chilling sign of Algeria’s crackdown on dissent,” urging his immediate release and solidarity with all imprisoned writers.
Sansal’s arrest and indictment comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Algeria and France, driven by disputes over the Sahara conflict and France’s newfound support for Morocco’s autonomy plan. Observers say Sansal’s vocal criticism of Algerian policies, particularly regarding the Sahara and his 2019 support for anti-government protests, are central to his persecution.
As international pressure mounts, Sansal’s case symbolizes the broader, longstanding struggles of the Hirak and the Kabyle people for free expression and human rights in Algeria, “a country at war with its people,” according to Moroccan journalist Mohamed Mounadi.