France expresses growing alarm over arrest of French-Algerian writer in Algiers

France expressed growing alarm Friday over the detention of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal in Algeria. The 75-year-old novelist, a vocal critic of authoritarianism and Islamism, was arrested at Algiers airport after returning from France, according to AFP. His publisher, Gallimard, confirmed that he had been detained by Algerian security services and called for his immediate release, while French President Macron’s office expressed concern over the writer’s disappearance. 

Sansal, granted French citizenship this year, is known for his outspoken views and has long been a controversial figure in Algeria. His works, though not banned, often critique political and religious extremism. He has also drawn attention for his 2014 visit to Israel. 

Politicians from across France’s political spectrum, including Edouard Philippe and Marine Le Pen, condemned his arrest. Meanwhile, another French-Algerian writer, Kamel Daoud, is embroiled in a separate controversy over his novel Houris- which won the prestigious Goncourt literary prize- further straining tensions between France and Algeria.