Agadir – Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has ordered the introduction of the death penalty for people convicted of deliberately starting forest fires, following a wave of deadly blazes that killed more than 12 people and injured dozens across the country’s northeast.
Tebboune instructed the Justice Ministry on Sunday to amend the country’s Penal Code by September 15 to introduce capital punishment for those involved in deliberately setting fires, according to Algeria’s media reports.
The proposed amendment would restore the death penalty specifically for deliberate arson. Although Algeria’s Penal Code allows the death penalty for several offenses, the country has not carried out an execution since 1993.
Under current legislation, deliberately setting forest fires can result in prison sentences of up to 30 years, with life imprisonment applicable in certain circumstances.
Tebboune’s decision came as authorities investigated the causes of fires that broke out across several provinces at almost the same time.
During a meeting on the response to the wildfires, the president questioned the circumstances surrounding some of the blazes, noting that videos appeared to show several fires starting simultaneously, including around 1 a.m.
He also instructed provincial governors to provide security authorities with all available information concerning the fires, amid suspicions that some may have been deliberately started. Authorities have launched investigations into the possibility of arson.
The latest fires began on August 26 and spread through several northeastern provinces, with strong winds and extreme heat contributing to the rapid spread of the flames.
The scale of the fires has prompted a nationwide emergency response. Algeria’s Civil Protection recorded 193 fires across the country over a 24-hour period, with 46 still active in the latest update.
Earlier reports from Algeria’s Civil Protection also recorded 174 fires between Thursday and Friday morning, affecting forests, agricultural land, palm groves, and haystacks. Firefighters had brought 110 fires under control while continuing efforts to contain the remaining blazes.
