Detention of Algerian novelist Boualem Sansal raises questions about intellectual safety and free expression elsewhere.
The unexpected death of renowned Algerian author Boualem Sansal has generated global attention; French President Emmanuel Macron voiced profound anxiety over the fate of the eminent thinker.
French media sources report that Algerian officials detained Sansal, 75, upon his arrival in Algiers last Saturday. From Paris, the writer—known for his candid criticism of the Algerian regime and the emergence of Islamism—had traveled to the Algerian capital.
“The president is very concerned and is following the situation closely,” an Elysée Palace spokeswoman stated.
“He treasures very highly the freedom of this outstanding writer and intellectual.” Other well-known French politicians have also responded to Sansal’s disappearance, expressing concerns for the safety of the esteemed author.
Former prime minister Edouard Philippe described Sansal as someone who “embodies all that we cherish” in terms of “reason, freedom, and humanism,” saying he was “profoundly worried” about his circumstances.
Concerned as well, the far-right leader Marine Le Pen said Sansal is a “fighter for liberty and a courageous opponent of Islamism.”
Sansal’s acquaintances in Paris said he had not shown up at his house in Boumerdès, a city east of Algiers. His cell phone had gone dead.
In light of President Macron’s recent official visit to Morocco, where he showed sympathy for Moroccan claims over the disputed area of Western Sahara, the challenges Sansal and other Algerian authors face have spurred worries of a government-led crackdown.
Many Algerians, who perceive this shift in French policy as a political move undermining their previous support for Polisario independence, have expressed their anger.
Sansal’s abduction also highlights the situation of other Algerian intellectuals, such as Kamel Daoud, who just came under legal prosecution in Algeria for his works on the nation’s civil conflict.
Having received France’s esteemed Prix Goncourt for his book on the conflict, Daoud voiced worry for his “friend Sansal,” noting that “being a writer in Algeria is an onerous task” and that “the regime does not at least appreciate the profession.”
As the world closely monitors the situation, there are increasing calls for the Algerian government to reveal Sansal’s location and ensure his safe return.
The destiny of this vocal writer has evolved into a yardstick for Algeria’s free speech and debate policy.