Algeria sentences exiled writer Kamel Daoud to 5 years in prison: What to know

Famed Algerian writer Kamel Daoud was sentenced in absentia on Tuesday to five years in prison over plagiarism allegations surrounding his novel "Houris," which depicts Algeria’s harrowing civil war. What happened: Multiple Arabic media outlets, including Al-Arabiya and Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, reported that a court in western Algeria’s Oran sentenced both Daoud and his wife, Aicha Dahdouh, to the prison term in addition to fining them more than $2,000. They were both found guilty of disclosing the confidential medical and personal information of a private person, according to the reports. "Houris," published in January 2024, tells the story of a little girl who loses her voice after Islamists cut her throat during the Algerian civil war, which lasted from 1992 to 2002. The French-language novel received the Prix Goncourt, France’s top literary prize, in 2024. The case originates from allegations made by Saada Arbane, an Algerian woman who said the story resembles her own. Dahdouh was Arbane’s psychotherapist. Arbane alleged in November 2024 that the novel was based on what she said in therapy sessions, and she subsequently sued the author in both Algeria and France, where Daoud is based. Daoud has denied the allegations, saying the information is public knowledge. Arbane has said her story was not public. She cited a number of similarities between her life and that of Aube, the main character, including use of a breathing tube, a slashed throat, tattoos and scars, and ownership of a hair salon, according to Agence France-Presse. Daoud slammed the proceedings in an X post on Tuesday, saying he was unable to defend himself in court and decrying “years of vicious smear campaigns to divert Algerians’ attention from their own misery."Algeria issued two arrest warrants for Daoud in May 2025. He is one of the most prominent writers in Algeria and previously worked as a journalist and columnist for French-language Algerian media outlets. Daoud is the first author of Algerian descent to win the Prix Goncourt. He moved to France in 2023 and holds French as well as Algerian citizenship, according to euronews. Why it matters: Algeria bans books on the civil war, which was fought between the government and various Islamist groups. Known as the “Black Decade,” the conflict began after Algiers canceled elections in 1992 and left around 200,000 dead. The war ended in a government victory, and its aftermath continues to be felt in the country. Algerian politics has been dominated by the National Liberation Front, a secular left-wing group that led the uprising against French colonial rule in the 20th century. Despite the ban, Daoud said in 2024 that pirated copies of "Houris" are available in Algeria, The Guardian reported at the time. The case against Daoud is concurrent with the legal troubles faced by fellow Algerian writer Boualem Sansal. The dual French-Algerian citizen was jailed in late 2024 after telling French media that France had unjustly transferred Moroccan territory to Algeria during the colonial era. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune pardoned Sansal in November 2025, allowing him to move to Germany to receive medical treatment. The global watchdog Freedom House characterizes Algeria as “not free,” noting fraudulent elections and significant restrictions on press freedom.