Algeria’s national assembly approved legislation establishing the death penalty for individuals convicted of deliberately setting fires to forests, woodlands, or fields, as well as for child abduction involving torture, sexual assault, or mutilation. The vote took place on Thursday, following a series of intense wildfires that affected parts of the country during a significant heatwave across northern Africa.
The official casualty count from the blazes stands at 12 deaths, though independent media sources and investigative journalists have compiled higher estimates. One journalist tracking death notices and information from local authorities has documented a toll reaching 200. The discrepancy between official and reported figures has drawn attention to the scale of the disaster.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune ordered the justice ministry to propose these criminal law amendments after more than 100 fires broke out in the country’s north-east region. Justice Minister Lotfi Boudjemaa defended the enhanced penalties before parliament, characterizing them as necessary responses to what authorities describe as organized criminal activity. Officials indicated that investigations had uncovered links to “foreign parties” involved in the arson incidents, justifying the severity of the new measures.
While capital punishment exists in Algeria’s penal code for certain offences, no executions have been carried out since 1993. The law must still undergo review by the upper house, the Council of the Nation, before receiving final presidential ratification.
Forest fires occur regularly in Algeria during summer months, but recent wildfires have been intensified by climate change impacts on weather patterns and environmental conditions across the region.
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