Algerian lawmakers have adopted a law imposing the death penalty on individuals convicted of forest arson and child kidnappings involving torture, sexual assault, or mutilation. The law was passed after deadly wildfires swept through the country's northeast during the summer, resulting in an official death toll of 12 people. However, witnesses have reported a much higher number of fatalities. The new law aims to curb these crimes and provide a tougher response to those responsible.
The law was proposed by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who ordered the justice minister to amend the penal code to broaden the list of crimes for which capital punishment is allowed. Algeria had upheld a moratorium on the death penalty since 1993, but Tebboune's move signals a shift in the country's stance on capital punishment. The justice minister, Lotfi Boudjemaa, told parliament that the tougher penalties were justified because arson had reached "the level of organised crime".
The new law specifically targets individuals who deliberately set fire to "forests, woods or planted or unplanted fields". The same penalty could apply to anyone who "kidnaps a child by any means, tortures them, sexually assaults them and/or mutilates them". The law received the support of the ruling coalition, but some opposition parties objected to it. The secular Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) party voted against the law, citing their long-standing opposition to capital punishment.
Amnesty International had urged Algeria not to adopt the law, describing it as "a deeply retrograde response". The rights group argued that authorities should focus on protecting lives, strengthening prevention, and emergency response in the face of reoccurring wildfires. However, the Algerian judicial system still provides safeguards for those facing the death penalty, including avenues for appeal or seeking a presidential pardon.
The justice minister claimed that investigations had uncovered links to "foreign parties" behind the forest fires. Boudjemaa told parliament that targeting the country's environmental and economic assets by deliberately setting fires, at times at the instigation of foreign actors, constitutes a clear form of treason and an attack on the integrity of the national territory.
The law is now set to be reviewed by the Senate before being officially ratified by President Tebboune. Forest fires regularly erupt in northern Algeria during the summer, with climate change intensifying their impact due to increasingly frequent droughts and intense heat. Tebboune has alleged "something criminal" as a cause of the latest summer blazes.
The adoption of the death penalty for these acts is seen as a significant shift in Algeria's approach to crime. While some lawmakers, like Fatma Zahra Bensafi, supported the bill, citing its importance for Algerian society, others, like MP Rachid Hassani, opposed it, arguing that the state should protect citizens rather than exact revenge or kill.
Key points
- Algerian lawmakers adopt law imposing death penalty for forest arsonists and child kidnappings involving torture, sexual assault, or mutilation.
- The law aims to curb crimes and provide a tougher response to those responsible for deadly wildfires and child kidnappings.
- The adoption of the death penalty marks a significant shift in Algeria's approach to crime, despite opposition from human rights groups and some lawmakers.
