This is perhaps the only information that Boualem Sansal's entourage has had since his arrest in Algeria. The Franco-Algerian writer, whose relatives have not heard from him for several days, should be presented to the public prosecutor's office this Monday, said lawyer François Zimeray, mandated by Gallimard to defend the author. His location and conditions of detention remain unknown at this stage, he said, invited on RTL.
The fate of this 75-year-old writer, in the fight against religious fundamentalism and authoritarianism, has been worrying political and literary circles for several days, triggering the mobilization of several Nobel Prize winners in literature, demanding his “immediate release”. According to several media, he was arrested on November 16 at Algiers airport, coming from France. An “arrest” confirmed Friday by the Algerian government agency APS, which however did not specify a date.
“He risks up to an extremely long life sentence”
Since the disappearance of the author, his relatives have had “no news from him”, explained Me François Zimeray, a situation “atypical for a criminal procedure”. “What I think I know, based on the information that was sent to me, is that he will be presented to the prosecution this afternoon, he will see a prosecutor,” continued the lawyer specializing in human rights. 'Man and former French ambassador to Denmark. According to the latter, “some of his relatives consider that he risks up to an extremely long life sentence, or ending his days in prison, given his age”.
He specified that the writer, controversial in Algeria, had until then “not had access to a defense”. “A lawyer should be appointed to him by the President of Algiers with whom I spoke yesterday, it is very important that he is defended by an Algerian lawyer, if possible of his choice,” he insisted, emphasizing that there was “a subject of respect for the rights of the defense, without which there is no fair trial”. “We must be very vigilant (…) regarding respect for the fundamental principles of law”, which have “apparently” already been flouted, insisted the lawyer, who sees this more broadly as “a risk for freedoms” .
“There are international procedures to enforce and remind a country of its duties, I hope not to have to implement them,” added Me François Zimeray, without further details. The day before, he had already promised to be “vigilant” to “respect his right to a fair trial”, in a press release sent to AFP by the publisher.
As for the reasons for Boualem Sansal's arrest, the lawyer said he did not know the precise reason, but “what he is accused of is obviously, as they say in literary prizes: for all of his work “, he continued. “That is to say for his freedom of tone, his freedom of spirit, his great independence and obviously the criticisms that his freedom led him to formulate (…) on certain aspects of Algerian society and of Algerian politics, whether it concerns Islamism, governance, and some considerations about history which did not please some,” he said, without wanting to say more, with “ caution “.
“One more irritant in the Franco-Algerian relationship”
“I do not want for anything in the world to add or go in the direction of those who want to inflame the Franco-Algerian relationship,” he insisted. “Some wanted to make Boualem Sansal and this arrest the occasion of another irritant in the Franco-Algerian relationship”, but “the role of his defense is to do nothing that goes in this direction”, he supported more broadly, believing “it must be an Algerian subject, treated under Algerian law and which challenges Algerian society”.
Also invited on RTL, the writer and academician Jean-Christophe Rufin pleaded for Boualem Sansal to enter the French Academy, an institution which could offer him “protection”. “It would be a way to express our solidarity with him, and to make the terrible act of imprisoning him even more sensitive from an international point of view,” he argued.
“In this context of diplomatic, political and international tensions, for which Boualem Sansal is paying the price, the worst for him would be to be supported only by politicians,” he also pointed out, calling on “intellectuals and writers” to rise to “defend” a fervent defender of the Francophonie, and who according to him represents “one of the strongest, symbolic links which connect us to Algeria”.
According to Le Monde, the Algerian authorities may have taken badly his statements to the French media Frontières, reputed to be far-right, which take up the Moroccan position according to which the territory of the country would have been truncated under French colonization for the benefit of Algeria, a explosive issue between the two Maghreb neighbors. APS criticized France on Friday for taking “the defense of a negationist who calls into question the existence, independence, history, sovereignty and borders of Algeria”, describing Boualem Sansal as a “useful puppet “.
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