Algeria Approves Death Penalty for Arsonists After Deadly Wildfires

Algeria's national assembly has approved a law establishing the death penalty for individuals convicted of setting forest or field fires, a measure introduced in response to a series of deadly wildfires that swept across the country.

The legislation, which also designates child abduction as a capital offense, was passed on Thursday. While capital punishment is on the books for certain crimes in Algeria, the country has not carried out an execution since 1993.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune directed the justice ministry to pursue these changes after over 100 fires erupted in the country's northeast during a severe heatwave in North Africa. The official death toll from these fires is 12, though independent news organizations suggest the number is significantly higher.

According to news agency AFP, Justice Minister Lotfi Boudjemaa stated in parliament that imposing the death penalty for these acts is the appropriate legal response to curb such crimes. He further justified the stricter penalties by noting that arson had reached the level of organized crime, with investigations suggesting connections to foreign entities.

The law now moves to the upper house, the Council of the Nation, for review before it can be officially ratified by the president.

Investigative journalist Nozha Khelalef has been compiling names of those believed to have died in the fires, drawing from death notices posted by families and information shared by local authorities. Her tally, published on the independent news website Twala, lists the death toll at 200.

While Algeria typically experiences forest fires during the summer, climate change has intensified the severity and frequency of recent wildfires in the region. The new law aims to deter deliberate acts of arson and address the growing threat posed by such events.