Franco-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud and his wife have each been sentenced to five years in prison by an Algerian court over allegations that his award-winning novel Houris drew on confidential medical information about a woman who survived an Islamist attack during the country's civil war in the 1990s.
Issued on: 13/11/2026 - 15:19
The court in the western city of Oran handed down the sentences on Tuesday against Daoud and his wife, psychiatrist Aïcha Dahdouh, following a complaint filed by Saâda Arbane, who claims the couple used details of her personal history without her consent.
Both were convicted in absentia of breaching professional confidentiality and invading privacy, according to Algerian newspaper El Khabar.
Daoud and Dahdouh, who both live in France, were also reportedly fined 300,000 Algerian dinars – approximately €2,000 – each.
Daoud, who won France's prestigious Prix Goncourt literary award for Houris in 2024, has consistently denied using confidential medical information in writing the novel.
Reacting to the verdict on social media, he denounced what he called "a trial without defence or justice".
He accused the Algerian authorities of conducting "years of vicious smear campaigns designed to divert the Algerian people's attention from their own hardships".
The writer, a columnist for French magazine Le Point and a prominent critic of the Algerian authorities, portrayed the proceedings as an attack on freedom of expression.
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The case centres on similarities between Arbane's experiences during Algeria's civil war and those of the novel's protagonist.
Houris follows Aube, a young woman whose throat was cut by Islamist militants during the conflict of the 1990s, known as the "Black Decade", leaving her unable to speak normally.
Arbane, who survived an Islamist attack during that period, claims the character's experiences closely resemble her own.
Her complaint highlights several similarities, including a slashed throat, a distinctive scar, a breathing tube, tattoos and the fact that both women owned hair salons.
She alleges that Daoud obtained details of her medical history through Dahdouh, who treated her as a patient in Algeria.
The novelist rejects the accusations, maintaining that his fictional character was not based on Arbane.
Dahdouh also denies disclosing confidential medical information, although she has confirmed treating Arbane.
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The controversy has exposed a growing rift between Daoud and Dahdouh, who have begun divorce proceedings.
In an interview with French investigative website Mediapart published on Monday, Dahdouh acknowledged noticing numerous similarities between the novel and her former patient's experiences.
She said she had raised her concerns with Daoud's publisher before publication, while continuing to deny breaching medical confidentiality.
In a statement released last month, Dahdouh distanced herself from the writer, insisting that his "voice should not silence" hers.
She also highlighted disagreements over three fundamental issues – Algeria, Islam and Palestine.
Despite maintaining their innocence, the couple are now defending their positions separately.
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Daoud's latest conviction follows a separate three-year prison sentence handed down by an Algerian court in April in another case connected to Houris.
The controversy has also prompted legal proceedings in France.
In September, a Paris court acquitted Daoud in a defamation case brought by Arbane over comments he made in an interview with Le Figaro.
Judges ruled that the remarks did not allow Arbane to be identified. The decision did not address the separate allegations concerning the use of her personal history.
Further proceedings relating to the allegations are scheduled in France in December.
Arbane's lawyer, Aïcha Derrar, welcomed Tuesday's verdict, saying it recognised the harm suffered by her client and the alleged exploitation of her ordeal.
Both Daoud and Dahdouh remain in France.
(with newswires)
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