BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
French-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud has been sentenced to three years in prison by an Algerian court over his novel Houris, a work that previously earned France’s highest literary honour, the Prix Goncourt.
Daoud, who resides in France, disclosed the ruling on social media, stating that the verdict was handed down Tuesday. In addition to the prison sentence, he said the court imposed a fine of 5 million Algerian dinars, equivalent to approximately $38,000.
The novel at the centre of the case explores the human toll of Algeria’s civil conflict during the 1990s, a period widely referred to in the country as the “black decade.” The war, which erupted in 1991 after Islamist political forces gained early electoral success and the military intervened to halt the process, led to a prolonged and violent confrontation between state forces and insurgent groups. Estimates suggest that nearly 200,000 people lost their lives during the conflict, leaving deep and unresolved societal scars.
Houris focuses on survivors of that era, weaving a narrative that confronts the trauma and silence surrounding the violence. The book’s critical acclaim abroad, culminating in its recognition with the Prix Goncourt in 2024, sharply contrasts with the legal consequences it has triggered in Algeria.
According to Daoud, his conviction is grounded in provisions of Algeria’s Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation, a law adopted via referendum in 2005. The charter was designed to bring closure to the civil war by granting broad amnesties to both Islamist fighters and state security forces. However, it also imposes strict limits on public discourse about the conflict, including penalties for discussing its events in ways deemed to undermine national reconciliation.
Daoud criticized the legal framework, arguing that it effectively criminalizes open examination of a defining chapter in Algeria’s modern history. He pointed to what he described as a paradox in which widespread acts of violence were formally pardoned, while writers and intellectuals face punishment for addressing the past.
The case extends beyond the courtroom verdict. Daoud is also reportedly subject to two international arrest warrants issued by Algerian authorities in May 2025. In addition, there are concerns that he could face the revocation of his Algerian nationality, further escalating tensions between the writer and the state.
His situation mirrors challenges faced by other prominent Algerian authors. Boualem Sansal, another French-Algerian writer known for his outspoken views, was previously convicted on charges including undermining national unity and insulting state institutions. He received a five-year prison sentence under anti-terrorism legislation before later being granted a humanitarian pardon following international appeals. Sansal ultimately returned to France after serving roughly a year in detention.
The controversy surrounding Houris has also been fueled by a separate legal and ethical dispute. An Algerian woman, Saâda Arbane, has publicly accused Daoud of appropriating her personal story as the basis for the novel. Arbane, who survived a violent attack during the civil war, claims she repeatedly refused permission for her experiences to be used in literary form.
Her allegations have gained traction within Algeria, where they have been amplified through media appearances and legal advocacy. Arbane was previously treated by psychiatrist Aicha Dahdouh—Daoud’s wife—at a hospital in Oran, a detail that has further complicated the case and intensified scrutiny over issues of consent and confidentiality.
A group of lawyers has since mobilized in support of Arbane, citing provisions within the same reconciliation charter that prohibit revisiting or publicizing details of the civil war. They argue that the novel represents not only a breach of personal privacy but also a violation of national legal constraints governing historical memory.
At the heart of the dispute lies a broader tension between artistic freedom and state-imposed limits on confronting the past. While Houris has been celebrated internationally for its literary merit and its attempt to grapple with trauma, its reception in Algeria underscores the enduring sensitivity of the civil war and the unresolved debate over how, or whether, it should be publicly addressed.
The case against Daoud is likely to further strain relations between Algeria and cultural figures in its diaspora, while raising wider questions about censorship, memory, and the role of literature in societies emerging from conflict.
Original article
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