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Rabat – French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who has been detained in Algeria for over a week under unclear circumstances, is set to appear before a prosecutor in Algeria today, his lawyer Francois Zimeray announced on Monday.
“What I know today, or rather what I believe to know based on the information I’ve received, is that he will be presented before the prosecutor this afternoon,” Zimeray, representing Sansal on behalf of Gallimard publishing house, said in a radio interview on RTL. However, he admitted to having no precise updates on Sansal’s condition or the nature of his detention.
Sansal has not yet been allowed access to a lawyer. Zimeray said that the Algerian Bar Association is expected to appoint legal counsel for the writer, but he said it is important to ensure Sansal receives representation from a lawyer of his choice.
In addition, Zimeray called for a fair trial and urged respect for Algeria’s international commitments to human rights and legal principles.
When asked about the possibility of traveling to Algeria to assist in the case, the lawyer said that the priority is to work with Algerian lawyers to ensure a proper defense and adherence to fundamental legal standards.
The Algerian state news agency (APS) confirmed Sansal’s “arrest” on Friday but did not specify when or why it occurred. Reports suggest the writer was detained on November 16 at Algiers airport after arriving from France, with literary figures demanding his release.
Nobel Prize winners in Literature, including Annie Ernaux, Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, and Orhan Pamuk, among others, have rallied behind Sansal and signed a petition calling for his release.
The arrest comes in the wake of strained diplomatic relations between France and Algeria, fueled by Paris’ support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan and territorial integrity Western Sahara earlier this year. Despite this, Zimeray cautioned against politicizing Sansal’s detention, saying that the case should focus on legal rights and justice rather than geopolitical tensions.
“This is not just a French-Algerian issue,” Zimeray said, arguing that it is a matter of global concern for intellectuals and the Algerian public, “who deserve better than this.”
Sansal is widely recognized for his literary work and sharp critiques of societal and political challenges, including religious extremism and authoritarianism.
