Algerian president moves to bring back death penalty for arsonists after deadly wildfires

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is pushing to reintroduce capital punishment for arson after destructive wildfires tore through the northeast of the country. Algeria has kept a moratorium on executions since 1993, but Tebboune has now instructed authorities to draft an amendment to the Criminal Code by 15 September that would allow the death penalty to be applied to arsonists.

The president declared three days of national mourning on Thursday following Wednesday's fires, which killed at least 12 people and injured dozens of others. He called the loss of life "a great tragedy." Officials said the confirmed death toll had not changed since Wednesday.

Casualties across several provinces

Interior Minister Saïd Sayoud reported five deaths in Jijel province, four in Béjaïa and three in Tizi Ouzou. He said 54 people were being treated in hospital for burns, with six in critical condition.

According to Algeria's civil protection agency, 46 fires were still burning on Thursday morning out of 193 recorded over the previous 24 hours. Unverified footage circulating online showed fast-moving flames trapping people inside their homes overnight. The national gendarmerie said three major highways connecting eastern regions had been shut down because of fires burning near Béjaïa, Jijel and Sétif.

A recurring, worsening threat

Summer wildfires are a regular occurrence in northern Algeria, but authorities say more frequent droughts and extreme heat are making them more intense. In July 2023, fires near Béjaïa destroyed thousands of hectares of forest and farmland, razed hundreds of homes and killed more than 30 people. This July alone, nearly 2,000 fires were recorded across the country.