Dominique Martre was arrested at a bookstore in Béjaïa, in eastern Algeria, along with her publisher. She was released a few hours later.
Police burst into a bookstore in Béjaïa, eastern Algeria, during the presentation of a book by its French writer, Dominique Martre, and arrested her, her publisher and participants before releasing them a few hours later, the editor told AFP on Sunday.
“The police burst into the bookstore on Saturday afternoon at the beginning of the presentation of the book ”La Kabylie en partage” and arrested all the people present in the room, including the author, her husband, myself and the bookseller.”said his publisher Arezki Ait-Larbi, who runs the Koukou publishing house.
“We were taken to the police station before being released around 8 p.m.”he added. The reasons for this police raid on the Gouraya Bookstore have not been revealed.
“Sharing Kabylia, in the privacy of women”published and sold in Algeria, relates the memories of Dominique Martre in a village in Kabylie in the 1970s, and recounts the experiences of women in this predominantly Amazigh region in northern Algeria.
On Sunday, the writer was “still in Béjaïa without restriction of freedom”according to its publisher. “We have no explanation for the reason for this ban, the book is sold in all bookstores”, said Mr. Ait-Larbi again. Last week, she presented her book in Algiers “no problem”he continued.
Koukou Publishing House has already faced censorship in recent years in Algeria. In 2022, it said that 12 of its books, mostly on political topics, had been banned at Algeria’s main book fair, SILA.
