Chalmouni Abdelkader — Nurse and Martyr of Blida
Chalmouni Abdelkader was born in Blida on 14 July 1923. A nursing assistant at the Frantz Fanon Psychiatric Hospital, he joined the FLN to supply medicines to wounded fighters and died in 1958 after enduring severe torture in colonial detention.
15 November 2025
Chalmouni Abdelkader was born on 14 July 1923 in Blida to Ahmed Shalmouni and Raji Yamna. He worked as a laborer and nursing assistant at the Frantz Fanon Psychiatric Hospital in Blida.
A Healer in the Revolution
Using his position as a healthcare worker, Chalmouni joined the National Liberation Front during Algeria's independence struggle. His role was unique and vital: he supplied medicines and medical materials to wounded FLN fighters, bridging his professional skills with his commitment to the cause.
Arrest and Torture
Algerian and colonial authorities eventually arrested him. Inside Blida Prison, he was subjected to brutal torture — including having nails pierced through his hands — yet he refused to betray a single one of his comrades.
He was then transferred to the Hawach El Shno torture center, where he continued to endure electric shocks and physical abuse until he fell into a coma.
Death
Chalmouni Abdelkader passed away in 1958 while under detention. His body was taken to the morgue on Bouaiba and buried in Sidi Hlou Cemetery in Blida. His family remained under constant surveillance and threat from authorities following his death.
Legacy
His courage under unimaginable suffering — refusing to speak even as his body was broken — stands as one of the most profound acts of resistance among Blida's martyrs. Chalmouni Abdelkader is remembered as a healer who gave his life so that others might live free.