Algeria's President orders Penal Code amendment to introduce death penalty with immediate execution

The president has raised the possibility that some of the fires may have been criminally set and ordered authorities to investigate their causes and identify those responsible.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has ordered amendments to the country’s penal code to allow the death penalty to be carried out against people convicted of deliberately setting forest fires, after a wave of devastating blazes killed 12 people and caused extensive damage across the country.

Tebboune instructed the justice minister to prepare the necessary amendments by September 15, state television reported, during a high-level meeting on the aftermath of the fires attended by senior civilian and military officials.

Under the proposed changes, anyone convicted of intentionally setting fire to forested areas would face capital punishment. State television said the sentence would be carried out only after all legal avenues of appeal had been exhausted.

The order represents a major escalation in Algeria’s response to deliberate forest fires. The death penalty remains on the country’s statute books for several offenses, but Algeria has maintained a de facto moratorium on executions since 1993.

Under current legislation, deliberately starting forest fires can result in a prison sentence of up to 30 years, or life imprisonment in certain circumstances.

Tebboune’s decision came after fires swept through several provinces, particularly in central and eastern Algeria, killing 12 people, injuring dozens and causing heavy material losses, including damage to forests and residential areas.

The president has raised the possibility that some of the fires may have been criminally set and ordered authorities to investigate their causes and identify those responsible.

“We saw videos and noticed that a number of fires broke out at the same time, at around 1 am, which raises many questions,” he said.

Tebboune ordered provincial governors to provide security authorities with all available information concerning the outbreak of forest fires, reinforcing the focus on possible deliberate ignition.

He also sought to reassure the public, declaring that “no one can bring Algeria to its knees” and saying the state had the capacity to overcome the consequences of the fires and support those affected.

The president had earlier declared three days of national mourning for the victims.

As the government turned to the immediate response, Tebboune ordered compensation for affected families and instructed committees to assess losses and determine compensation for damaged property.

He also ordered the rapid restoration of essential infrastructure in fire-hit areas, saying electricity, gas, water, and telecommunications networks should be repaired by the following Saturday at the latest.

Damaged homes are also to be restored as quickly as possible. Tebboune instructed the housing minister to arrange for construction companies to repair affected properties within specified deadlines, with the president saying normal life in the fire-hit areas should resume within a week.

The scale of the emergency remained significant on Sunday. Algeria’s Civil Protection authorities said firefighters had extinguished 21 of the 24 fires recorded across the country, while teams continued efforts to contain three remaining fire hotspots in three provinces.

The government has faced repeated wildfire emergencies in recent years, particularly during periods of extreme heat and dry conditions. The latest fires have nevertheless prompted an unusually forceful political response, with the authorities examining whether simultaneous outbreaks could point to intentional acts rather than natural causes.

The decision to seek capital punishment for deliberate arson also places the issue within a broader debate over how Algeria should respond to attacks on forests, communities, and critical infrastructure during periods of severe wildfire risk.

The immediate priority, however, remains restoring damaged services and assisting families who lost homes or relatives.

Source: thearabweekly.com, Staff, August 31, 2026

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde

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