On Thursday, Algeria (October 10, 2023) approved a law that imposes the death penalty on individuals convicted of arson in forests. This decision was made following deadly fires that occurred in recent weeks across large areas of the country.
Details of the Fires and Human Casualties
According to official statistics, the number of victims from these fires, which affected northeastern Algeria last summer, has been reported as 12. However, eyewitnesses have reported the deaths of dozens more. In this context, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune ordered last August for the Minister of Justice to work on amending the penal code.
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Content of the New Law and Reactions
This law not only includes the death penalty for arson but also extends the death penalty to child kidnappers who engage in abuse or transformation. Lotfi Boujemaa, the Minister of Justice of Algeria, stated: "The approval of the death penalty for these acts is a suitable legal response to reduce these crimes." Although Algeria has suspended the execution of death sentences since 1993, some death sentences, especially in terrorism-related cases, have been issued.
Despite opposition from part of the opposition, the ruling coalition supported this decision. Fatima Zahra Ben Saafi, a representative of the National Front for Democracy party, emphasized that this law is legally, politically, and socially significant for Algerian society. In contrast, the secular party, the Front for Culture and Democracy (RCD), strongly opposed this law, with its representative, Rashid Hosseini, stressing that this party has always been against the death penalty.
Environmental and Social Consequences
Under the new law, anyone who intentionally sets fire to forests and agricultural lands may face the death penalty. A similar penalty is also provided for anyone who kidnaps a child and engages in abuse or transformation. Amnesty International last month urged Algeria not to pass this law and to refrain from reinstating the death penalty.
The Minister of Justice emphasized that Algeria's judicial system still provides guarantees for those sentenced to death, including the possibility of appeal or requesting presidential pardon. However, Boujemaa stated that strict penalties are necessary due to the increase in arson, which has reached the level of organized crime.
Tebboune also referred to the existence of "something criminal" as the cause of the recent summer fires. Forest fires in northern Algeria occur regularly in the summer, and climate change exacerbates their impact due to frequent droughts and extreme heat.
The new law must now be reviewed by the Senate before being approved by Tebboune.
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