Algeria president seeks death penalty for arsonists after deadly forest fires

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is contemplating the reintroduction of the death penalty for arsonists in response to a deadly wildfire outbreak in the northeast of the nation last week. The President has instructed the Minister of Justice to complete the implementation by September 15. Speaking at a meeting to address the wildfires, Tebboune stated that numerous arrests had been made following the incident.

"If anyone believes that the law will not be enforced, let them know that society and justice will exact their due," he asserted, according to the state news agency APS. The death penalty is stipulated in Algeria's criminal code for various offenses, but its application has been halted since 1993. Currently, setting forest fires with malicious intent is punishable by a maximum of 30 years in prison, a provision Tebboune seeks to alter.

The wildfires that struck last week occurred amid a severe heatwave across North Africa, significantly impacting Tunisia and Algeria. Algeria's civil protection agencies recorded 154 wildfires nationwide on Wednesday, with 36 occurring in Bejaia province alone. Half of these fires have been brought under control. Among the casualties were five individuals in Jijel province, four in Bejaia, and three in Tizi Ouzou.

A total of fifty-four people sustained burn injuries, including six in critical condition now in intensive care, as reported by Interior Minister Said Sayoud. Tebboune proclaimed three days of national mourning. "It's not usual for fires to ignite simultaneously, such as the one that erupted at midnight and rapidly spread without any wind," he remarked.

Efforts are underway at the Ministry of Finance to calculate compensation for those affected, irrespective of the extent of their losses, as quoted by APS. Alternative housing is being provided for those who lost their homes, and new building standards for residences in forested areas will be implemented, APS added.