News Center- Djamila Boupacha, a female revolutionary who participated in the armed struggle for Algeria's independence and was subjected to torture, has declined her appointment as senator. The list of new senators, 26 senators, was announced by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. After the announcement of the list, Nacera Douagui shared a statement on her Facebook page on behalf of Djamila Boupacha.

“I declined this proposal which was made to me by the official authorities by thanking them for the confidence which they placed in me. I served my country with my brothers and sisters as a Mujahideen and I have since resumed my life as a citizen and I want to remain so,” the statement says.

Who is Djamila Boupacha?

Born in 1938, Djamila Boupacha took part in the armed struggle for Algerian independence in 1955. In 1960, French troops raided her house and arrested her. She was subjected to torture and rape in prison. Working with French Tunisian lawyer Gisèle Halimi, Djamila Boupacha brought her torture case to trial, causing a scandal in France and Algeria and gaining wide public attention. The Committee for Defense of Djamila Boupacha created by Simone de Beauvoir’s leadership, figures like Jean-Paul Sartre, Louis Aragon and Aimé Césaire played an important role throughout the trial. She was released from prison in 1962.