Algerian lawmakers pass a bill restoring the death penalty for arson

Algerian lawmakers have reintroduced the death penalty for arson after a series of deadly wildfires this summer. The bill passed the National Assembly with 307 votes in favor, 17 against, and seven abstentions. Algeria has not carried out an execution since 1993, despite courts still issuing death sentences. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had previously threatened the death penalty for those responsible for the devastating fires.

The bill also establishes child abduction as a capital offense. Justice Minister Lotfi Boudjemaa stated that the reintroduction of the death penalty is necessary to eradicate such crimes. While conservatives and Islamists, who hold a majority in the assembly, support the bill, international organizations like Amnesty International oppose it.

The official death toll from the wildfires stands at 12, but human rights groups suspect the figure is much higher, with videos showing dozens of coffins in mass graves. The bill must still pass through the upper house of Parliament before being ratified.