Writer Boualem Sansal arrested at Algiers airport, deepening France-Algeria feud

Boualem Sansal, a Franco-Algerian novelist and a prominent critic of Algeria's authorities and of Islamism, was detained on 16 November 2024 after arriving at Algiers airport. Aged 75 at the time, he was best known in France for novels such as "2084", which won a major Académie française prize in 2015.

Algerian authorities later confirmed the arrest and he was held under national-security provisions of the penal code, which cover acts deemed to undermine national unity. His detention followed remarks he made to a right-wing French outlet about the borders of Algeria and Morocco, which angered officials in Algiers.

The arrest came when relations between Paris and Algiers were already strained, notably after France's July 2024 backing for Morocco's plan for Western Sahara, which prompted Algeria to recall its ambassador. Sansal's case became a major point of friction. French politicians, writers and rights groups called for his release, while Algiers rejected outside pressure. It added a human-rights and cultural dimension to a dispute that also touched on migration, visas and energy ties.