Henri Alleg facts for kids
Henri Alleg (born Harry John Salem; July 20, 1921 – July 17, 2013) was a French-Algerian journalist. He was the director of the Alger républicain newspaper and a member of the French Communist Party. Alleg became famous around the world after his book La Question was published in 1958. In this book, he spoke out against torture, especially during the Algerian War (1954–1962).
Contents
Early life
Henri Alleg was born in London in 1921. His parents were Jewish and came from Russia and Poland. He grew up in Paris. During his childhood, he saw many changes in the world. The Spanish Civil War was happening, and refugees from Italy and Germany came to France. This made his school environment more focused on politics.
Alleg's fight against torture
Henri Alleg was arrested during the Algerian War. While he was held, he wrote down what happened to him. He secretly sent these writings out of the camp. His wife, Gilberte, helped him. She typed his story and shared it with journalists and publishers in France.
Alleg's claims of mistreatment were printed in a newspaper called L’Humanité. However, the French police quickly took away all copies of that newspaper. This meant the public couldn't read his story.
Gilberte worked very hard to get her husband's book published. She also tried to make people aware of what was happening in Algeria. She asked the French people to help stop the violence. She said that her husband's case was not the only one. She explained that such events were happening every day in Algeria.
Most publishers were interested in Alleg's story. But they were worried about publishing it because of the political situation. They feared it could harm their businesses. Gilberte kept trying until she found a publisher called Editions de Minuit. They published his book as La Question. This title had a double meaning. It referred to the question of whether torture was right. It also referred to "la question," which was an old French legal term for torture.
Censorship of La Question
When La Question was first published on February 12, 1958, it was not immediately censored. The French government did not deny his claims at first. However, the Ministry of the Interior did stop French newspapers from writing about or printing parts of the book.
For example, in March 1958, the French government took away copies of France Observateur. This was because the newspaper had printed parts of Alleg's book. At this point, the government allowed the book itself to be sold. But they did not want people to discuss Alleg's claims in public. This was partly due to French censorship laws. These laws allowed local governments to read newspapers before they were published, but not books.
Even though articles about the book were seized, La Question became very popular. It was almost a bestseller and caused many debates in France. The French government also seized an article by Jean-Paul Sartre called "A Victory." This article, published in L'Express, talked about what Alleg's book meant for France. Even though it was censored, this essay was secretly passed around. Later, it became the introduction to the book's English version.
As more and more rumors of torture spread, the French government officially banned La Question. They hoped this would calm the tense political situation in France. On March 27, 1958, French authorities seized the 7,000 remaining copies of the book. These were at the Éditions de Minuit publishing house. However, they could not do anything about the more than 60,000 copies that had already been sold. La Question continued to sell, even secretly, over 162,000 copies in France by the end of 1958.
After the ban, other left-leaning French publishers kept printing the book. They continued to do this throughout the Algerian War, even though it was officially banned. On the day La Question was seized, the French government said that their investigation into Alleg's torture claims was almost finished. They claimed that doctors had seen scars on Alleg's wrists and groin. But the officers Alleg accused kept denying the charges. So, no charges were brought against the French government.
The trial
In August 1957, Henri Alleg sent a similar account of his torture. He sent it from the prison in Algiers to lawyers and legal authorities. At this time, rumors were spreading in Algeria that he had disappeared or even died. Alleg was finally brought before a judge two months after his arrest. This happened only after his complaint and a big news campaign.
The officers Alleg accused publicly said they did not do it. Robert Lacoste, who was the Minister of Algeria, said an investigation was happening. This was to find out the truth about the "allegations." The "trial" took place in November 1957. Alleg was found guilty of acting against the safety of the state. He was also accused of trying to restart a banned group.
Military officials sent two doctors to examine Alleg. But no one from outside the French government was allowed to see Henri after he was moved to Lodi. This made some people suspicious. However, because of Alleg's accusations against the soldiers, an investigation was started. It was for "blows and injuries" against unknown people.
The military judge went with Alleg to the buildings where Alleg said he was tortured. Alleg described the inside of the buildings from memory. He was able to describe many parts of El-Biar very accurately. He especially remembered the kitchen, where torture was known to happen. This suggested that he had truly been mistreated. If the questioning had been "normal," Alleg would not have been able to describe the torture room so well. Despite this evidence, the French government continued to ignore Alleg's requests for justice. They sent him back to an army jail.
Escape and return to France
Henri Alleg managed to escape from prison. He then traveled to Czechoslovakia. When the Évian Accords were signed in 1962, Alleg returned to France. After that, he went back to Algeria. He helped to rebuild the Alger Républicain newspaper. He also continued to write many books and appear in several documentaries.
In 1965, there was a military takeover in Algeria by Houari Boumédienne. Alleg was then declared persona non grata, meaning he was no longer welcome in Algeria. So, he moved back to France, near Paris. He lived there until he passed away in 2013, at the age of 91.
Works
- Mémoire algérienne: souvenirs de luttes et d'espérances (2005)
- Grande aventure d'Alger républicain (co-authored with Boualem Khalfa and Abdelhamid Benzine, 1987)
- Prisonniers de guerre (1961)
- La Question / The Question (Introduction by Jean-Paul Sartre, 1958)
- Requiem pour l'Oncle Sam (1991)
- U.R.S.S. et les juifs (1989)
- Victorieuse Cuba : de la guérilla au socialisme (Preface by Boualem Khalfa, 1963)
- Red Star and Green Crescent (1983)
See also
- Torture during the Algerian War
- Censorship in France
