Algeria Lawmakers Approve Death Penalty For Arson

Algerian lawmakers have approved a bill expanding the use of the death penalty to cover arson, following deadly wildfires that devastated parts of the country this summer. The bill was passed by the National Assembly on Thursday by 307 votes to 17, with seven lawmakers abstaining. It must now be reviewed by the Council of the Nation, the upper house of Parliament, before it can be ratified.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had warned in August that those responsible for the wildfires would face the death penalty. The government subsequently moved to amend the Penal Code to expand capital punishment for arson-related offences.

Justice Minister Lotfi Boudjemaa said the death penalty was an appropriate legal response to the offences covered by the amendments.

The bill would also make the abduction of children a capital offence. Amnesty International said the amendments extend the death penalty to broadly worded acts including inciting, encouraging or facilitating arson, including through social media, as well as certain offences involving the abduction, torture and sexual assault of children.

Algeria has not carried out an execution since 1993, although courts continue to impose death sentences. The country also expanded the death penalty to cover certain drug-related offences in 2025.

The official death toll from the summer wildfires was 12, although reports and social media footage have raised questions about whether the figure fully reflects the number of deaths.

Amnesty International has criticised the new legislation and urged the upper house to reject the amendments, while saying that the fires should be investigated and those responsible held accountable.

The bill will now move to the upper house for consideration.

SOURCE: AFP