Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced on Sunday his intention to restore the death penalty for individuals convicted of arson, a dramatic policy shift following a series of deadly wildfires that have devastated the country’s eastern and northern regions. The move breaks with a longstanding moratorium on capital punishment that has been in place since 1993.
During a high-level meeting on the fires attended by senior civilian and military officials, Tebboune instructed the justice minister to prepare an amendment to the penal code before September 15. He demanded that the draft pass through the government and be reviewed “quickly” by Parliament.
Swift Legislative Action Ordered
“We are reinstating the death penalty for arsonists,” Tebboune declared in televised remarks. “There will be execution” once all legal appeals are exhausted for those convicted, he added. The president’s directive signals an urgent legislative push to address what authorities describe as deliberate acts of arson amid a catastrophic fire season.
The announcement comes as Algeria observes three days of official mourning and has cancelled all cultural festivities and sports competitions. Official figures report at least 12 deaths linked to the violent forest fires near Béjaïa, Jijel, and Tizi-Ouzou, though local sources fear the true toll may be considerably higher.
Arrests and a “Very Heavy” Toll
Health Minister Mohamed Seddik Aït Messaoudène described the human cost as “very heavy” on Friday without providing an updated figure. Authorities have confirmed that several individuals suspected of starting fires have been arrested. The president vowed that victims who lost homes, furniture, appliances, livestock, or fruit trees would be fully compensated by the state before September 15.
“No one can bend Algeria,” Tebboune stated, framing the response as a matter of national resilience. The emotional impact has been profound, with large crowds attending a collective burial of victims in a Jijel cemetery, according to images broadcast by local television and news sites.
Climate-Fueled Infernos
The wildfires have been intensified by violent winds and an intense heatwave, conditions exacerbated by increasingly frequent drought episodes linked to climate change. Since Wednesday evening, numerous videos of the fires have circulated on social media, many posted by citizens trapped by flames in the coastal and mountainous region known for its stunning landscapes.
Civil protection forces have deployed significant resources, including water-bombing aircraft, to combat the blazes. The president’s hardline stance on arson reflects both the scale of the disaster and growing public anger over the destruction of lives and property in one of Algeria’s most scenic areas.
