Saâda Arbane sues Kamel Daoud and Le Figaro for defamation in Paris over "Houris" novel
via Algérie3604 min read
The Paris Criminal Court heard a defamation complaint filed by Saâda Arbane against Franco-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud and the newspaper Le Figaro. The complaint stems from statements made by Daoud in an interview published in early April 2025. Daoud, 55, is accused of defamation for stating that "Algiers can file a complaint against Kamel Daoud in France," which Arbane's lawyer, Me Colomba Grossi, argues indirectly targeted Arbane through metonymy, making the statements defamatory despite not explicitly naming her. Saâda Arbane, 32, from Oran, is a survivor of a massacre during Algeria's Black Decade. She accuses Daoud of exploiting her personal story for his novel "Houris," which won the Goncourt Prize in 2024. She also claims to have been a former patient of a psychiatrist linked to the author, a claim Daoud disputes. Arbane's lawyer, William Bourdon, described the statements as a "premeditated and organized" attack, harming her reputation after alleged infringements on her private life in the literary work. Le Figaro's defense views the proceedings as a strategy to pressure media outlets that interviewed the writer. Daoud's lawyer, Me Jacqueline Laffont, denounced what she called "judicial harassment" against her client in France and Algeria, suggesting the multiple lawsuits aim to exhaust him and restrict his freedom of expression. The prosecutor stated that the contested remarks were an "expression of an opinion" and did not clearly identify Arbane, nor did they impute
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