Algerian police raided a book presentation event on Saturday, briefly arresting French author Dominique Martre, her publisher Arezki Ait-Larbi, and others present, according to Ait-Larbi’s statement to AFP on Sunday.
The raid occurred at Librairie Gouraya, a bookstore in the eastern city of Bejaia, as Martre presented her book “La Kabylie en partage” (Shared Kabylia).
Ait-Larbi, director of Koukou publishing house which published the book, said those present were taken to the police station before being released later that evening.
No explanation for the raid was provided by the authorities.
Martre’s book, a memoir of her experiences with Berber women in Algeria’s Kabylia region, had previously been presented in the capital Algiers without issue.
Ait-Larbi further stated the book is published and sold throughout Algeria, including at the International Book Fair held late last year.
This incident raises concerns about press freedom in Algeria. Koukou publishing house has faced censorship in recent years, with 12 of their books banned from the 2022 SILA book fair, primarily for political content.
An Amnesty International report in February highlighted the ongoing suppression of free expression in the country, citing continued arrests of journalists, activists, and whistleblowers since the 2019 Hirak protests.
Ranked 136th on the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, Algeria’s press freedom record remains under scrutiny.
