Boualem Sansal, the French-Algerian writer detained by Algerian authorities on national security charges, has been hospitalised again, according to his French editor, raising new concerns about the health of the 75-year-old author while in custody. Sansal, a prominent figure in modern francophone literature, was arrested on November 16 at Algiers airport during rising tensions between France and Algeria.
Antoine Gallimard, head of the Gallimard publishing house, told supporters at a Paris theatre that Sansal had requested to be taken to a penitentiary care unit again. This marks the second time Sansal has sought hospital treatment during his detention. Gallimard questioned the significance of this request, noting that Algerian authorities understand his health is fragile and that his disappearance would be very serious, for them as well.
Boualem Sansal, who turned to writing later in life, became known for tackling complex topics such as the civil war in Algeria during the 1990s between the government and Islamist groups. In 2015, he won the Grand Prix du Roman from the French Academy for his dystopian novel “2084: The End of the World,” inspired by George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four.”
While his books are not banned in Algeria, Boualem Sansal remains a controversial figure, particularly after visiting Israel in 2014. His outspoken criticism of Islamism, not only in Algeria but also in France, has earned him both admiration and criticism, particularly from right-wing and far-right figures in both countries.
