Algeria introduces death penalty for arsonists after deadly wildfires

Algeria’s national assembly passed legislation on Thursday that imposes the death penalty for anyone convicted of deliberately setting fire to forests, woods or fields. The bill also classifies child abduction involving torture, sexual assault or mutilation as a capital offence. Capital punishment remains part of Algeria’s penal code, although no execution has been carried out since 1993. Authorities cite an official death toll of 12 from the recent wildfires, but independent outlets contend the figure is far higher. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune directed the justice ministry to submit the amendments after more than 100 blazes erupted in the country’s north‑east during an intensified heatwave across North Africa. Justice Minister Lotfi Boudjemaa told parliament, “The adoption of the death penalty for these acts is the due legal effect to curb these crimes.” He added that arson had risen to “the level of organised crime,” with investigations pointing to possible foreign involvement. The Council of the Nation, the parliament’s upper chamber, will review the measure before it receives final ratification from the president. Investigative reporter Nozha Khelalef has been compiling the names of presumed victims from death notices posted by families and data supplied by local officials. Her tally, published on the independent news site Twala, lists 200 fatalities. While seasonal forest fires are typical in Algeria, analysts say climate change has amplified the intensity and spread of recent wildfires.