Franco-Algerian writer Sansal held in Algeria on state security charges

RFI

27 November 2024 at 10:15 am·1-min read

Eighty-year-old Franco-Algerian author Boualem Sansal is reportedly being held under Article 87 of Algeria's penal code, which covers terrorism, threats and state security.

French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal – who was arrested in mid-November in Algiers – has been placed under a detention order for alleged threats to state security, his lawyer said on Wednesday. Algerian justice officials and authorities have still not commented on the case.

The 80-year-old is being held under Article 87 of the Algerian penal code, which covers terrorism, threats and state security.

"If there must be an investigation, it in no way justifies extending the detention of Boualem Sansal," said his lawyer François Zimeray in a statement.

Describing the detention of an elderly writer as “a serious act”, he added: “Whatever injuries or sensitivities are invoked, they are inseparable from the very concept of freedom, which has been hard-won in Algeria.”

Sansal was taken into custody on 16 November at Algiers airport and has since been questioned by Algeria’s anti-terrorism prosecutor. The legal period of police custody was reportedly due to end on Wednesday.

'Revisionist delusions'

The charges against Sansal are linked to comments he made in October to French media, where he discussed historical ties between western Algeria and Morocco, including the city of Oran.

The remarks angered Algerian authorities, who interpreted them as undermining the country’s sovereignty.

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'Revisionist delusions'

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