Algeria’s freedom is our colleague Boualem Sansal’s freedom!
Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who was awarded the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade in 2011, was arrested a few days ago at Algiers airport on his return from Paris and is being held by the Algerian Directorate General for National Security. Commentaries in the pro-government Algerian press suggest that Sansal is being held because of statements he made about the Moroccan-Algerian border created during French colonial rule.
PEN Berlin calls for the immediate release of Boualem Sansal. Thea Dorn, spokesperson for PEN Berlin, said: ”Boualem Sansal is one of the most important voices in Francophone literature. His passionate public warnings against political Islam can no more justify his arrest than the charges that have now been brought. If it is true that in today’s Algeria a writer’s historical observations are interpreted as an attack on the sovereignty and national integrity of the state, this would not only be absurd, but a blatant attack on the human right to freedom of expression. Freedom of expression includes the right to express opinions that others may find provocative. The legitimacy of a state is not undermined by public criticism, but only by the actions of those in power. Algeria’s freedom is our colleague Boualem Sansal’s freedom!”
PEN Berlin. We stand by our word.
Communiqué de presse en français