Algerian president seeks death penalty for arsonists

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has ordered a rapid amendment to the country’s Penal Code to allow executions for people convicted of deliberately starting wildfires.

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We are reinstating the death penalty for arsonists.

Speaking to the justice minister at a meeting on the fires, Tebboune demanded that the amendment reach the government and then Parliament before Sept. 15. “We are reinstating the death penalty for arsonists,” he said. “There will be an execution” after convicted people exhaust their appeals.

Algeria has observed a moratorium on the death penalty since 1993. Tebboune’s announcement followed deadly fires that swept parts of the east and north, including areas near Béjaïa, Jijel and Tizi-Ouzou. Official figures put the death toll at at least 12, although local sources feared it could be higher. Health Minister Mohamed Seddik Aït Messaoudène described the toll as “very heavy” without giving a number.

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There will be an execution.

Authorities said several people suspected of starting fires had been arrested. The government declared three days of mourning and canceled cultural events and sports competitions. Tebboune also promised full state compensation by Sept. 15 for people who lost homes, furniture, appliances, livestock or fruit trees.

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Very heavy.

Strong winds and intense heat fueled the fires, while increasingly frequent drought episodes linked to climate change worsened conditions. Civil protection services deployed substantial resources, including water-bombing aircraft. Videos posted online showed residents trapped by flames in the coastal and mountainous region, and television footage showed a large crowd attending a collective funeral in Jijel.

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No one can bend Algeria.