Algeria’s president seeks death penalty for those who start forest fires

What the report says

Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has called for changes to the penal code that would allow the death penalty for people convicted of deliberately starting forest fires, according to Al Jazeera. The proposal follows deadly wildfires in the country’s northeast that killed at least 12 people and injured 54, with the hardest-hit areas reported as Jijel, Bejaia and Tizi Ouzou.

According to the report, Tebboune instructed the justice minister to prepare an amendment by Sept. 15. He also asked provincial governors to provide security authorities with all available information about the blazes, saying the timing of some fires suggested possible arson. Al Jazeera reported that several fires appeared to break out at roughly the same time in the early morning hours, prompting questions from officials.

The article notes that Algeria already has the death penalty in its legal system for some crimes, but the country has not carried out an execution since 1993. Deliberately setting forest fires can currently bring up to 30 years in prison, or life imprisonment in certain cases.

Beyond the legal proposal, Tebboune ordered support measures for affected communities, including compensation for families, repairs to damaged homes and efforts to restore electricity, gas, water and communications. The report said at least 46 fires were still burning and 193 had been recorded in the previous 24 hours, underscoring the scale of the emergency.