“Houris Scandal”: Fatima Ben Braham Launches Attack on Kamel Daoud, Revealing Shocking Truths!

BY: Dr. Hana Saada

Algiers, Algeria | November 21st, 2024 —Lawyer Fatima Ben Braham has launched a fierce attack on Franco-Algerian novelist Kamel Daoud, accusing him, alongside his wife, a psychologist, of exploiting the tragic story of an Algerian woman—now known publicly as the “Houris Scandal.”

On Thursday, Ben Braham held a press conference at the AZ Hôtels in Algiers to clarify Daoud’s exploitation of the suffering of “Saâda Arban,” whose story inspired Daoud’s controversial novel, Houris, for which he won the prestigious French Goncourt Prize. Ben Braham, accompanied by her client, laid bare the complicated case that erupted after Daoud’s victory.

Ben Braham stated, “The medical file of my client, which was entrusted to her doctor, who happens to be Kamel Daoud’s wife, was concealed. This will come to light in the judicial investigation.” She also noted that Daoud did not acquire French nationality in a lawful manner and could face its revocation if he fails to fulfill the duties that come with it.

Ben Braham further criticized Daoud’s hypocrisy, commenting, “He wants us to forget the brutal 132-year colonial history but simultaneously focuses on the dark decade of the Algerian civil war, calling it a civil war when it was, in reality, an attack on the military institution using the people as hostages.”

She went on, “Daoud stole my client’s life, her story, and her pain, using it to build his success, thus destroying her dignity.” She also emphasized that according to Goncourt’s rules, the story must be fictional and should not infringe on the dignity of real people, living or dead—something Daoud  violated.

Ben Braham’s attacks against Daoud were sharp, accusing him of selling his homeland for a mere 10 euros, further betraying the French publisher that helped bring his work to the world.

Legal Action: A Lawsuit on Behalf of the Victim and the National Organization of Victims of Terrorism

Ben Braham confirmed that she had filed two legal complaints, one on behalf of the National Organization of Victims of Terrorism and the other for Saâda Arban, against Kamel Daoud and his wife, accusing them of unlawfully using Arban’s personal story in the novel Houris without her consent.

The lawsuits are based on “breaching professional secrecy, defamation of terrorism victims, and violating the National Reconciliation Law,” which prohibits the publication of anything related to the civil war in Algeria between 1992 and 2002.

Ben Braham revealed that they filed the lawsuits immediately after the book’s release in August, not waiting for Daoud’s Goncourt win, to avoid any interference with the nomination process.

She further emphasized, “The lawsuits pertain to the breach of confidentiality, with the doctor revealing her patient’s file to her husband, and the defamation of terrorism victims, violating Algeria’s reconciliation law.”

Key Highlights from the Press Conference: Shocking Revelations About Kamel Daoud and His Controversial Case

• The committee that awarded Kamel Daoud the prestigious “Goncourt” Prize, along with four of its members who initially refused to vote for him, are now demanding a reevaluation of the decision following the new revelations.
• According to a close friend of Daoud, it was President Macron who pressured Daoud to publish the book.
• Those who are behind Daoud and his wife had registered the latter on the refugee list in France to facilitate her job acquisition, placing her at the top of the list.
• It was discovered that the medical file of Ben Braham’s client was concealed by the medical facility, revealing that Daoud and his wife were accomplices in the crime.
• Ben Braham uncovered the issue two days after the book’s release, which was sent to her by friends in France. This sparked an investigation with the Victims of Terrorism Association and the Missing Persons Association, and the legal complaint was filed on November 7, 2023. Ben Braham also discovered the identity of Saâda Arban, who had sent a letter requesting her representation.
• Daoud’s dedication in the book’s copy given to Ben Braham’s client is incriminating.
• Several international lawyers have expressed their willingness to join the legal defense of the victim.
• Ben Braham chose to speak in French to respond to the French media.
• Two lawsuits have been filed in Oran Court: one on behalf of Mrs. Zahra Flissi, President of the Victims of Terrorism Association, and another on behalf of Saâda Arban, filed on November 18, 2023.
• Saâda rejected Daoud’s offer to turn her story into a television production in exchange for financial compensation that could help her purchase a house in Spain, calling him “disrespectful.”
• Saâda Arban was supported and adopted by the former Minister of Health and Professor Mentouri assisted with her marriage. She is married and has a child, registered under her husband’s name.
• Daoud mentioned a tattoo on the protagonist of his novel, which resembles the one on Ben Braham’s client.
• The medical file of Ben Braham’s client, entrusted to her doctor, who is Daoud’s wife, was concealed, and this will be uncovered in the judicial investigations.
• Daoud did not obtain French citizenship lawfully.
• Despite being granted French citizenship by President Macron, Daoud may have it revoked if he fails to meet the obligations tied to it.
• Daoud’s wife was the doctor for Ben Braham’s client.
• The book was written in Algeria and published in France.
• Daoud wants us to forget Algeria’s brutal 132-year colonial history, yet he focuses on the dark decade of Algeria’s civil war, calling it a civil war, even though it was an attack on the military institution using the people as hostages.
• Daoud stole the life, story, and pain of Ben Braham’s client, and used it to build his success, undermining her dignity.
• Daoud built his success by destroying the life and voice of Ben Braham’s client.
• Terrorism didn’t originate in Algeria, it was an external force that sought to settle in the country.
• One of the conditions for receiving the Goncourt Prize is that the story must be fictional and not harm the dignity of real individuals, living or deceased, which Daoud violated.
• Daoud sold his homeland for 10 euros and even betrayed the French publisher who supported him.
• Daoud does not deserve the Goncourt Prize.

Kamel Daoud’s Response to the Lawsuit

In a response to the accusations, Kamel Daoud stated that “justice will decide” and declined to comment further. While attending an event at the Arab World Institute in Paris, Daoud was approached by Algerian filmmaker Mohamed Zaoui, who asked him about the accusations. Daoud’s response was evasive, stating, “I was waiting for you,” before remaining silent on the matter.

Zaoui, surprised by Daoud’s nonchalant reaction, noted that Daoud dismissed questions about the accusations and was more focused on signing books for fans. Daoud reportedly claimed that he could not discuss the issue because his schedule was “too busy,” further stating that “justice will handle it.”

In a public statement, the Gallimard publishing house, which released Houris, denied the accusations, labeling them as “defamation.” They maintained that although the novel was inspired by the tragic events of the Algerian civil war, the characters and events were fictional, not based on real people.

How Kamel Daoud Exploited a Woman’s Tragedy for the Goncourt Prize

Media outlets have exposed a shocking detail about Houris, revealing that Kamel Daoud used the life story of Saâda Arban, a woman who was receiving treatment from Daoud’s wife, as the basis for his Goncourt-winning novel. Arban, a victim of the civil war, was unaware that her personal tragedy had been used in Daoud’s work, which he claimed was purely fictional.

Arban, who suffered severe trauma as a child when armed militants killed her family in the 1990s, expressed her outrage in a television interview. She said that Daoud’s portrayal of her life in the novel was an invasion of her privacy and a breach of medical confidentiality.

She went on to describe how she discovered that the novel’s protagonist mirrored her own life, with specific details—such as scars, medical procedures, and even her personal history—being depicted in the story. Despite her earlier rejection of Daoud’s suggestions to turn her story into a book, she later found out that he had proceeded without her consent.

Saâda Arban, armed with evidence such as medical reports and conversations with Daoud’s wife, has vowed to pursue legal action, calling the situation an “egregious violation” of her privacy and an “abuse of professional secrecy.”

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