Algerian Author Faces Lawsuit Over Allegations of Story Theft from a Survivor

Saada Arbane is suing author Kamel Daoud, alleging he based his novel 'Houris' on her life story, leading to two lawsuits filed in Algeria. The legal controversy raises questions about medical confidentiality and the use of personal narratives in literature.

Kamel Daoud, the celebrated Algerian author who recently won France’s prestigious Goncourt prize for his novel "Houris," now finds himself at the center of a legal controversy in Algeria. A woman named Saada Arbane has publicly accused Daoud of basing his book's protagonist, Fajr, on her own harrowing experiences during Algeria’s brutal civil war in the 1990s, where up to 200,000 lives were lost.

Arbane, who suffered severe injuries including a throat cut in a massacre that claimed most of her family, revealed on Algerian television that her story was drawn from personal conversations with Aicha Dahdouh, Daoud’s future wife and psychiatrist. Arbane claims that many of Fajr's characteristics—such as her speaking tube, scars, tattoos, and mother-daughter relationship—mirror her own life.

Expressing her outrage, Arbane described an incident three years ago where she declined a meeting with Daoud after learning he sought her consent to use her traumatic story in a literary work. “It’s my life. It’s my past. He had no right to chuck me out like that,” she stated during her TV appearance.

In response, two lawsuits have been filed in Algeria against both Daoud and Dahdouh. The first pertains to allegations of breaching medical confidentiality, while the second invokes a controversial law that criminalizes the exploitation of narratives related to the civil war. Daoud's novel has not only sparked legal actions but has also been banned in Algeria, a country wherein he is regarded by some as having surrendered to French influences.

Daoud, who relocated to Paris in 2020 and acquired French citizenship, remains a polarizing figure within Algeria, where discussions surrounding the civil war remain sensitive. Despite his character creations being deeply inspired by Algeria’s tragedies, the author’s defenders, including his publisher Antoine Gallimard, assert that the narrative and characters in "Houris" are purely imaginative.

Legal representative Fatima Benbraham, a noted supporter of the Algerian regime, disclosed that the lawsuits were initially filed in August following the book’s release but were kept under wraps to avoid detracting from the Goncourt nomination.

The situation occurs amidst increasing diplomatic tensions between Algeria and France. Recent declarations by French President Emmanuel Macron regarding Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara have incited grievances among Algerians, and thus Daoud's recognition is perceived by some as politically motivated.

In a related context, fears have emerged about the potential arrest of Boualem Sansal, another award-winning Algerian author critical of the regime, who recently went missing after returning to Algeria from France. His disappearance highlights the broader issues of freedom of expression and the dangers faced by writers in the region.