{"id":6488,"date":"2026-10-01T17:30:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T17:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=6488"},"modified":"2026-10-01T17:30:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T17:30:10","slug":"death-penalty-bill-for-forest-arsonists-clears-algeria-lower-house-human-rights-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=6488","title":{"rendered":"Death penalty bill for forest arsonists clears Algeria lower house | Human Rights News"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Human rights organisations accused Algiers of using the law to target political opposition groups.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Published On 1 Oct 2026<\/span>1 Oct 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Algerian lower house has adopted a law that would allow the death penalty for those convicted of arson, after deadly wildfires have swept through the country\u2019s forests.<\/p>\n

Members of the National People\u2019s Assembly (APN) in parliament voted Thursday to amend the country\u2019s penal code to allow the punishment for \u201canyone who attempts to undermine public security and order, national unity or economic and environmental stability\u201d, according to Algerian media.<\/p>\n

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President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called<\/a> for the amendment in September, after at least 12 people died<\/a> in wildfires in Algeria\u2019s northeast.<\/p>\n

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A couple inspects their home, which was damaged by wildfires in the town of Djemaa Beni Habibi, Jijel, Algeria, Friday, September 4, 2026 [Fateh Guidoum\/AP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The North African country has upheld a long-term moratorium<\/a> on capital punishment since the last case in 1993.<\/p>\n

Human rights organisations, however, urged Parliament not to adopt the law in September and accused the government of using the code as an excuse to employ capital punishment against political opposition groups.<\/p>\n

Amnesty International called<\/a> the move \u201ca deeply retrograde response\u201d, adding that authorities should instead \u201cfocus on protecting lives, strengthening prevention and emergency response\u201d in the face of recurring wildfires.<\/p>\n

A coalition of other human rights groups signed a letter calling on authorities to halt any changes to the penal code and suggested that the death penalty has \u201cnever deterred arsonists from committing their crimes\u201d.<\/p>\n

They agreed that perpetrators must be held to account and provide restitution for the damage and loss of life.<\/p>\n

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Men attempt to put out a fire in Iboudraren village, in the mountainous Kabylie region of Tizi Ouzou, east of Algiers, Algeria, August 12, 2021 [Abdelaziz Boumzar\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During deadly<\/a> wildfires<\/a> in 2021, Algeria detained at least 30 people, including seven members of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK<\/a>), which authorities declared a \u201cterrorist<\/a> organisation\u201d.<\/p>\n

Justice Minister Lotfi Boudjemaa defended the recent change and said, \u201cThe adoption of the death penalty for these acts is the appropriate legal response to curb these crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the moratorium, death sentences have been handed out before, including in \u201cterror-related\u201d cases. Tebboune said that those death sentences would be enacted once their appeals were exhausted.<\/p>\n

The law is now set to be reviewed by the upper house, the Council of the Nation, before being officially ratified by Tebboune.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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Human rights organisations accused Algiers of using the law to target political opposition groups. Published On 1 Oct 20261 Oct 2026 The Algerian lower house has adopted a law that would allow the death penalty for those convicted of arson, after deadly wildfires have swept through the country\u2019s forests. Members of the National People\u2019s Assembly…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-international-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t