Prize-winning book 'Houris' brings prison term for French-Algerian author Kamel Daoud
Summary
Kamel Daoud, a French-Algerian author, was sentenced in Algeria to three years in prison and fined for his book "Houris," which explores Algeria’s civil war in the 1990s. The sentence was based on a law that restricts public discussion of the war, raising concerns about freedom of expression in Algeria.Key Facts
- Kamel Daoud received a three-year prison sentence and a fine of about $38,000 in Algeria.
- The book "Houris" covers the violent civil war in Algeria during the 1990s, known as the "black decade."
- Daoud won France’s prestigious Goncourt Prize for this novel in 2024.
- The conviction was under the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation, which limits public discussion of the civil war.
- The law grants pardons to both Islamist fighters and government forces but punishes public mentions of the conflict.
- Daoud is also facing two international arrest warrants from Algeria and might lose his Algerian nationality.
- He previously served a year in prison and was released after a humanitarian appeal by Germany’s president.
- Another French-Algerian writer, Boualem Sansal, has experienced similar legal troubles in Algeria.
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