Algeria president seeks death penalty for arsonists after deadly forest fires

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced that his government will seek the reinstatement of the death penalty for individuals convicted of intentionally setting forest fires. The president directed the Justice Ministry to draft amendments to the penal code that would introduce capital punishment for arsonists. Although the death penalty remains part of Algeria’s legal framework, no executions have been carried out since 1993. More than 100 wildfires have been recorded in the northeastern region over the past few days, the majority of which have already been brought under control. Speaking on Saturday, Tebboune said he had not ruled out foul play as a possible cause of the blazes. He added that thorough investigations would be conducted, paying particular attention to the intensity of the fires. On Sunday, the president set a 15 September deadline for the submission of legislative changes that would allow the death penalty for anyone found guilty of deliberately starting a fire in wooded areas. Under the current statute, intentionally igniting a forest fire carries a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, with life imprisonment possible in certain aggravated circumstances. Deadly flames swept across extensive tracts of northern Algeria last week, causing widespread destruction, injuring dozens and displacing thousands of residents. The fires erupted during an intensified heatwave that has affected much of North Africa, with Algeria and Tunisia experiencing particularly severe conditions. Algerian civil protection authorities continued to combat the blazes on Sunday morning. According to the Algerian Press Service, 18 of the 19 fires that had broken out in the preceding 24 hours had been extinguished. President Tebboune also ordered that compensation be paid to the families of victims, that damaged homes be repaired, and that essential public services be restored. He stated that investigations would assess the full scope of the material and human losses caused by the fires. While forest fires are a recurring summer phenomenon in Algeria, officials note that climate change has amplified the intensity and severity of recent wildfire episodes.