A survivor of Algeria’s civil war is suing novelist Kamel Daoud, claiming his award-winning book Houris is based on her life without consent. Saada Arbane, who survived a massacre and communicates through a speaking tube, accuses Daoud and his psychiatrist wife of breaching confidentiality.
Arbane alleges similarities between her life and the novel’s heroine, including personal details and experiences. Daoud, the first Algerian to win the Goncourt Prize, has not commented. Two lawsuits cite medical confidentiality and a law banning the exploitation of Algeria’s civil war wounds.
The controversy deepens tensions between Algeria and France amid political strains.
