Algeria Moves to Reinstate Death Penalty for Deliberate Forest Fires.

Tebboune Orders Legal Changes After Wildfires Kill 12.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has ordered the government to amend the country’s Penal Code to introduce the death penalty for people convicted of deliberately starting forest fires. The directive was issued on Sunday, August 30, following a wave of devastating wildfires that killed at least 12 people.

Tebboune instructed the Minister of Justice to prepare the amendments by September 15, with the proposed punishment to be carried out only after all legal avenues of appeal have been exhausted. Algeria’s state news agency APS confirmed the presidential order.

Deadly Fires Trigger Tough Response.

The decision follows fires that swept through several provinces in northern and eastern Algeria during an intense heatwave. Twelve people were killed and 54 others injured, with Jijel, Béjaïa and Tizi Ouzou among the areas affected.

Algerian authorities have also reported numerous fires occurring within short periods of each other, raising suspicions that some may have been deliberately started. Tebboune has ordered security authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the outbreaks and identify those responsible.

Death Penalty Already Exists but Has Not Been Used.

Although Algeria’s criminal code already provides for capital punishment for several serious offences, the country has maintained a de facto moratorium on executions since 1993.

Under the current law, deliberately setting forest fires can result in a prison sentence of up to 30 years, with life imprisonment possible in certain circumstances. The proposed amendment would significantly increase the punishment for intentional forest arson.

Government Promises Support for Victims.

Alongside the tougher criminal measures, the Algerian government has announced plans to compensate people affected by the fires and provide alternative housing for those whose homes were destroyed.

Authorities have also been instructed to restore essential services, including water, electricity, gas and telecommunications, while experts are being asked to review construction standards for homes located in forested areas.

A Controversial Response to a National Disaster.

The proposed return of executions for deliberate forest arson represents one of the strongest responses yet from the Algerian government to the country’s worsening wildfire threat. Supporters are likely to view the measure as a deterrent against deliberate fires, while critics may question whether harsher punishment alone can address the causes and risks associated with increasingly severe wildfires.

For now, the government has set a clear deadline for the proposed legal changes.

Algeria is responding to a devastating wildfire season with one of the harshest criminal penalties available under its legal system. Whether the proposed death penalty becomes law will depend on the legislative process, but Tebboune’s order signals how seriously authorities are treating suspected deliberate fires after a disaster that has already claimed 12 lives.