Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has ordered steps to reintroduce the death penalty for people convicted of deliberately setting forest fires following a wave of wildfires that killed at least 12 people across several eastern provinces.
Tebboune gave the directive on Sunday during a high-level meeting on the government’s response to the fires, attended by senior civilian and military officials, according to state television.
The president directed the justice minister to submit an amendment to the country’s penal code by September 15 to introduce capital punishment for anyone found guilty of intentionally setting fire to forested areas.
State television reported that any death sentence would not be carried out until the accused had exhausted all available legal avenues of appeal.
Although capital punishment remains part of Algeria’s criminal law for several serious offences, the country has maintained a de facto moratorium on executions since 1993.
Tebboune also instructed provincial governors to provide security agencies with all available information concerning the outbreak of the fires.
He said videos showing several fires starting at around 1 a.m. had raised suspicions that some of the blazes may have been deliberately ignited.
Under existing legislation, anyone convicted of intentionally setting forest fires can face up to 30 years in prison, with life imprisonment possible in certain circumstances.
The president also ordered the immediate payment of compensation to families affected by the wildfires.
Special committees are expected to assess the damage and determine compensation for homes and other properties that were destroyed or damaged by the fires.
Tebboune further directed authorities to restore electricity, gas, water and telecommunications services in affected communities by Saturday at the latest.
The housing minister was instructed to work with construction companies to repair damaged homes within specified deadlines.
The president said efforts should ensure that normal life returns to the affected areas within a week as authorities continue to deal with the destruction caused by the fires.
Algeria’s Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday that 12 people had died in the latest wave of wildfires that swept through several eastern provinces, according to local media reports.
The proposed amendment would mark a major shift in Algeria’s approach to punishing deliberate forest fires, particularly as authorities investigate whether some of the recent blazes were intentionally started.
