“One day his prison will be ours, so let’s free him!” » | EUROtoday
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“NWe are at the service of a single objective: to get a man out of the dungeon where he was thrown in a completely arbitrary manner. » It is with these words that Arnaud Benedetti, editor-in-chief of Political and parliamentary review and founder of the International Support Committee for Boualem Sansal, opened this Monday, December 16, at the Théâtre Libre in Paris, the “Great evening of support” for the author detained since November 16 by Algeria.
One month to the day earlier than the night, of which The Point was a companion, the Franco-Algerian man of letters was indicted and imprisoned by Algiers, for his important positions vis-à-vis the regime, on the grounds of “endangering state security”. “To their farce,” insisted the instigator of the night, “we must respond with our unity of action and determination. »
In front of a packed room of a thousand people, where the writer’s photographs adorn the scene – gentle smile, thin glasses and white hair tied back -, intellectuals and politicians took turns calling throughout this evening for liberation of the novelist, and recall the intangible principles of freedom of conscience and expression. Kamel Daoud, also a Franco-Algerian writer and the subject of a defamation campaign orchestrated by the regime since his 2024 Goncourt Prize, came to “give a name to freedom and oppression” and hyperlink his destiny to that of everybody of us.
“We are here to challenge interpretations, to recall the injustice of his fate […] We are here not to give up. Sansal is in jail for an opinion. If we give in on the freedom of a writer, we will give in on our freedom to imagine, and one day Sansal’s prison will be ours, so let’s free him! » insisted the author ofHouristo the loud applause of the supporters of the writer deprived of his liberty.
“We cannot tolerate that a critical voice can be subject to such judicial arbitrariness,” additionally argued Antoine Gallimard, his good friend and writer since 1999. Before taking the chance of this night of help to tell the viewers in regards to the state of well being of the creator aged 80.
Boualem Sansal “is not doing well”
“We learned very recently, this morning, that at his request, he was once again placed in a prison care unit. What can we understand? In any case, they [les responsables encadrant sa détention, NDLR] understood that his health is fragile and that his disappearance would be very serious, for them too,” defined the writer.
Boualem Sansal, who dangers life imprisonment, is “a man who is not doing well”, supported his lawyer in France, Me François Zimeray, launching an “appeal to the Algerian authorities, to simply show humanity in this matter”, whereas urging the creator to “hold on”. “We don’t know how long this nightmare will last, but we know that until Boualem Sansal comes out, we will be by his side. »
Demonstrations and strong support can be decisive, insisted Xavier Driencourt, former ambassador to Algeria, who still saw the writer in Paris, the day before his arrest on the tarmac of Algiers airport. “Algeria does not like to be singled out by international authorities,” insisted the diplomat, throughout a spherical desk following the poignant studying of the creator’s texts. “Through the arrest of Boualem Sansal, it is he who is taken hostage, but also France and what Boualem Sansal represents as a writer, free to think, write and publish in France, [quand il en est] banned in Algeria,” he recalled. “Let’s not let him down. »
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A name chanted and repeated all through the night. That Sansal’s supporters want to hear extra. “It all seems pretty obvious. […] but things are shaking, all the same, a little bit in France,” underlined Étienne Gernelle, director of Pointquestioning essentially the most silent in regards to the destiny of the author. “In the political-media world, not everybody may be very enthusiastic, some appear to be a little bit afraid. There aren’t many people on this one, not as many as we want to be. » An remark shared by Noëlle Lenoir, lawyer and former minister, who was answerable for closing this night of help: “We are all Boualem Sansal! »
Reminding, if mandatory, that “a novelist does not harm the security of the State” and that “freedom of expression is Man’s most precious asset”, the senior civil servant, involved to finish this occasion on a notice of hope – and promising different actions to return – concluded in these phrases: “This is a primary step to proceed the battle […] Contrary to what individuals would have us consider, all of the criticism, slander and slander uttered by some strengthen our dedication. The fact is on the transfer and nothing can cease it. This is what’s sealed tonight. »
https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/boualem-sansal-emprisonne-en-algerie-un-jour-sa-prison-sera-la-notre-alors-liberons-le-17-12-2024-2578177_23.php