Algeria: President seeks death penalty for arsonists

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has ordered the Justice Ministry to amend the criminal law to introduce the death penalty for people convicted of intentionally starting forest fires, with a September 15 deadline for the changes, according to BBC News on August 31st. 

Capital punishment remains part of Algeria’s penal code for certain offences, although no executions have been carried out since 1993. Deliberately starting forest fires currently carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison or, in certain cases, life imprisonment.

Tebboune has also ordered compensation for affected families, repairs to damaged homes and essential services, and investigations into the extent of the damage and losses caused by the fires. 

The President’s orders come against the backdrop of recent investigations into suspected arson amid the current environmental crisis.

On July 23rd, Algerian authorities arrested 4 suspects over allegations that they deliberately started wildfires. 

Algeria has experienced a particularly severe wildfire season this summer, with approximately 2,000 wildfires recorded in July alone.

Recent wildfires in the Jijel province have killed 12 people, who were buried on August 28th in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb. 

Algeria also continues to deal with the aftermath of severe wildfires as volunteers mobilise to provide essential supplies, including water, bread and milk, to families displaced by the fires.  

Authorities have deployed Algerian Civil Protection units to contain fires and evacuate residents from affected areas.

Additionally, the civil defence mobilised over 19,000 personnel, 700 trucks, six helicopters, and 12 water-bombing aircraft to combat the forest fires.

By late July, authorities announced that Algeria’s major wildfires had been extinguished following a 20-day operation involving emergency services.

However, fires continue to be reported across the country. According to Maghrebi.org, authorities reported 159 fires across the country, 90 of which had been extinguished and 69 remain active.

Tebboune’s orders demonstrate the Algerian government’s increasingly stringent approach to tackling deliberate wildfires, with the proposed death penalty signalling a significant escalation in punishment for those convicted of intentionally causing forest fires.

BBC News, Maghrebi.org