ALGERIA’S LOWER HOUSE BACKS DEATH PENALTY FOR ARSON AFTER DEADLY WILDFIRES

Fri 02 October 2026:

Lawmakers amend the penal code to cover acts said to threaten public order, national unity, and environmental stability. The bill still needs upper-house review and presidential ratification. A moratorium on executions has held since 1993.

Parliament votes to expand capital punishment

Members of the National People’s Assembly voted on Thursday to change the penal code so that the death penalty can apply to anyone convicted of trying to undermine public security and order, national unity, or economic and environmental stability, Algerian media reported.

The amendment follows a September call from President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, after wildfires in the northeast killed at least 12 people.

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Rights groups warn of a wider crackdown

Human rights organisations had urged parliament not to pass the measure. They argued that the government could use the expanded code against political opponents rather than only against arsonists.

Amnesty International described the move as “a deeply retrograde response” and said authorities should concentrate on protecting lives and improving prevention and emergency response as wildfires recur.

A coalition of other rights groups wrote to the authorities asking them to drop the changes. They said the death penalty has never stopped arsonists, while agreeing that those responsible should be prosecuted and made to compensate for damage and loss of life.

Earlier fires already tied to detentions

During deadly wildfires in 2021, Algeria detained at least 30 people, including seven members of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), which the authorities have labelled a terrorist organisation.

Justice Minister Lotfi Boudjemaa defended the latest amendment, saying the death penalty for these acts is the appropriate legal response to curb the crimes.

Moratorium remains, but sentences continue

Algeria has not carried out an execution since 1993. Courts have still issued death sentences, including in cases linked to terrorism. Tebboune has said those sentences would be carried out once appeals are exhausted.

The bill now goes to the upper house, the Council of the Nation, before Tebboune can ratify it.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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