Well-known novelist Salman Rushdie or Nobel Prize winners for literature Wole Soyinka,Orhan Pamuk,Jean-marie Gustave Le Clézio and Annie Ernaux are calling for Algeria to release the 75-year-old writer Boualem Sansal. He was arrested under mysterious circumstances after arriving from Paris and faces prison. French President Emmanuel Macron is dealing with his case.
According to AFP, the news of Sansal’s disappearance the weekend before last caused an uproar in France, where the author is popular. In the first days, it was not clear what happened. The media speculated whether the writer criticizing Islamism and defending freedom of speech had become a victim of kidnapping. At that moment,it was onyl apparent that his mobile phone had not received a signal for several days and that the person in question had landed at the airport in Algeria,but had not yet arrived home in the province of Boumerdès.
It wasn’t until almost a week later that the Algerian agency APS announced that the writer had been arrested, is in custody and faces prison for allegedly “questioning national sovereignty”. His lawyer, François Zimeray, is trying in vain to contact him and find out the details.
Authorities detained Sansal at a time when diplomatic relations between France and its former colony, Algeria, were strained. french President Emmanuel Macron last month backed Morocco in the Western Sahara dispute. Most of this territory on the Atlantic coast is managed by Morocco, but roughly a fifth remains under the control of the Polisario rebel movement, which wants to create an self-reliant state there with the support of Algeria.
Boualem Sansal commented on this very situation last month in an interview for the YouTube show Frontières. In it, he questioned whether algeria has a legitimate claim to Western Sahara and called the Polisario a movement “created by Algeria with the aim of destabilizing Morocco”.Though, the authorities have not confirmed whether the novelist was actually arrested in connection with this statement.
Sansal was born in Algeria and still lives there, but he repeatedly causes a stir there. for example, last decade he visited Israel and criticized the Palestinian terrorist movement Hamas, which is why the organizers of the Prix du roman arabe Arabic literary prize refused to pay him the financial bonus associated with the award. Likewise, Sansal has repeatedly warned against the rise of radical Islamists or the excessive influence of Islam in France, AFP explains.
Boualem Sansal in 2012 during a visit to Prague. | Photo: Libor Fojtík
Boualem Sansal has been writing in French for a quarter of a century and this year he received French citizenship. His novels are published by leading Parisian publishing house Gallimard, which was among the first to call for his release last week. A spokesman for the Elysee Palace has already said that President Emmanuel macron is “very concerned” by the author’s disappearance and is calling for the release of “this great writer and intellectual”, reported the british BBC.
Sansal’s detention is also criticized by former presidential candidate Marine Le Pen. ”It is unacceptable that this freedom fighter and courageous opponent of Islamists appears to have been detained by the Algerian regime,” she said.
The weekly Le Point published a petition in which Sansal’s release is requested by Nobel Prize winners for literature Annie Ernaux, Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, Orhan Pamuk and Wole Soyinka, as well as well-known writers Roberto Saviano, Salman Rushdie, Leila Slimani and philosophers Peter Sloterdijk, Alain Finkielkraut and Bernard-Henri Levy. According to them, Sansal’s detention “provides an alarming situation in france, where the concept of freedom of speech is only a dim memory in a time full of oppression, prisons and societal repression”.
Boualem Sansal is a trained engineer with a doctorate in economics, but worked for decades as a senior civil servant in Algeria.He published his first novel as a 50-year-old in 1999, frightened by the assassination of President Muhammad Budiáf and the rise of Islamic terrorism in general. He was fired from the Algerian Ministry of Industry for his first book.
In his prose, he writes about the freedom of the individual and society, religious issues, the coexistence of the West with the East, or historical guilt, for example in connection with the algerian civil war, which is still a hot topic in the country today. Two novels from his works have been published in Czech: Němcova vescie or the Schiller Brothers’ Diaries was inspired by a personal experience from his youth, when Sansal discovered during his civil service that there was a former Nazi living in the countryside who converted to Islam and became a local sheikh.
The dystopian novel 2084 – The End of the World then follows the legacy of Orwell’s famous 1984 and describes a world ruled by hypocritical religious radicalism. for this prose, Sansal received the prestigious Grand Prize of the French Academy for the novel. In addition, he is the recipient of the Peace Prize of the German Booksellers and sat on the jury of the Berlinale Film Festival.
Sansal’s first wife, with whom he has two daughters, was a Czech, he told Hospodářské novinám years ago. “I’m almost half czech,” he declared. “In the 1970s, I was in Prague on a study exchange.Algeria was a socialist country, so many of our people studied in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc. I met a young woman there who was doing her doctorate in anthropology. We fell in love. We left together to Algeria and lived there. But at one point the situation became complicated, not even for me and her. We decided that with our daughters will return. I stayed,” explained Sansal.
The AFP agency reminds that boualem Sansal was detained by the Algerian authorities at a time when another well-known local writer, Kámel Daúd, is also in the center of attention. Earlier this month, he won France’s goncourt prize for his novel Houris, about the Algerian civil war. But Saâda Arbane,an Algerian survivor of the massacre from the civil war,recently came forward. She claims that the writer edited her personal story without permission, which she revealed to her therapist Aïche Dahdouh, Daúd’s fiancee.
Daúd’s publisher rejected the accusation. But lawyer Fatima Benbraham took up the case and filed a lawsuit against the writer and his fiancee, Le Monde wrote.He describes the lawyer as “an ardent supporter of the Algerian regime”.
Daúd moved to Paris a few years ago and today holds French citizenship. In connection with the novel Houris, he and his publisher Gallimard were recently banned by Algeria from participating in the book fair there.
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How have international reactions to Boualem Sansal’s detention influenced the discourse on political activism in the Middle East?
Time.news Editor (TNE): welcome to today’s interview. We have with us Dr. Mira Azmi, an expert in Middle Eastern literature and political activism. We’re here to discuss the recent detention of Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal and the international reactions surrounding it.Dr. Azmi, thank you for joining us.
Dr. Mira Azmi (MA): Thank you for having me. This is a critical issue that highlights the challenges faced by writers in oppressive regimes.
TNE: Absolutely. Boualem Sansal was recently arrested upon arriving in Algeria from Paris. What do you think triggered this arrest?
MA: There are several layers to Sansal’s situation. He has been an outspoken critic of radical Islam and has made controversial statements about Algeria’s involvement in the Western Sahara conflict. his comments coudl be seen as challenging the national narrative, which frequently enough leads to a swift crackdown from authorities.
TNE: Yes, he raised questions about Algeria’s legitimacy regarding Western Sahara and the role of the polisario movement. How do you view the timing of his arrest in the context of Franco-Algerian relations?
MA: The timing is indeed suspicious. Tensions between France and Algeria have flared up, especially after President Macron supported Morocco in the Western Sahara dispute.This may have given the algerian authorities an additional reason to silence Sansal, whom they might perceive as a threat to their sovereignty, especially given his international platform.
TNE: His detention has garnered significant attention. Why do you think authors and intellectuals worldwide, including Nobel laureates, are rallying for his release?
MA: Bask in the recognition that writers like Sansal bring to literature and free thoght.His work transcends borders, and as such, his plight resonates with those who value freedom of expression. Authors such as Salman Rushdie and Wole Soyinka understand the deep ramifications of an attack on intellectual freedom, as they have faced similar circumstances in their own countries.
TNE: Speaking of intellectual freedom, how has Sansal’s previous criticism of political Islam impacted his standing in Algeria?
MA: Sansal has always been a polarizing figure in Algeria. His critique of not just Islamism but also his visit to Israel angered many within the Algerian establishment. This consistent opposition to mainstream views puts him at odds with both his government and segments of the public. As a result, he has, regrettably, become a target for repression.
TNE: French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed concern over Sansal’s situation. Do you believe this diplomatic involvement could help in securing his release?
MA: Macron’s vocal support is significant,as it puts international pressure on the Algerian government.However, the extent to which it will influence their actions remains uncertain. Authoritarian regimes often resist external pressure, especially when they perceive threats to their power.
TNE: It’s concerning. What should readers and global citizens take away from this incident?
MA: This situation serves as a reminder of the fragile state of free expression,particularly in regions with a history of political oppression. For readers and global citizens, it emphasizes the importance of supporting writers and activists who stand for truth and freedom, in their own voices.Signing petitions, raising awareness, and holding governments accountable are vital steps in promoting global literature advocates.
TNE: Thank you, Dr. Azmi, for your insights. It is indeed a crucial moment for literature and freedom of expression.We hope for Boualem Sansal’s safe release and for ongoing support for writers everywhere facing similar challenges.
MA: Thank you for having me. Let’s continue to raise our voices for those who cannot.