Algeria is facing an intensifying human rights crisis as President Abdelmadjid Tebboune directs the Minister of Justice to amend the penal code by September 15 to reintroduce the death penalty for intentional arson, alongside proposed expansions targeting child abductors and abusers. The legislative push follows devastating wildfires that swept through northeastern Algeria, destroying entire villages across the Kabylie region and triggering widespread arrests.
## Legislative Directive Following Devastating Wildfires
On August 30, President Tebboune instructed the Minister of Justice to amend the Penal Code by 15 September to “reintroduce” the death penalty for intentionally starting or instigating fires. Under the proposed framework, individuals sentenced to death would face execution as soon as they have exhausted their right of appeal. The government formally began examining the draft amendments on September 6, with indications that the expansion would also sweep in child abductors and abusers.
These measures build on prior legislative moves that broadened the scope of the death penalty in July 2025 to include several drug-related offences. While Algeria has retained the death penalty in its statutes—most commonly issuing sentences for murder—the country has not carried out executions since 1993.
“Walking back from over 30 years without executions is a deeply retrograde response that runs counter to respect for the right to life,” said Nadege Lahmar, Algeria Researcher. Lahmar added that the move is “at odd with Algeria’s international human rights obligations, in addition to its consistent support to UN General Assembly resolutions calling for a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty.”
## Wildfires, Casualties, and Arrests
The legislative overhaul was catalyzed by a destructive series of wildfires that erupted between August 26 and 30. While initial government figures on August 26 recorded 12 deaths and 54 hospitalizations, credible sources reported significantly higher casualties, including more than 70 deaths in a single municipality. An earlier outbreak in July killed six people in the northeast.
While officials initially attributed the July fires to severe heatwaves and climate-driven structural challenges, President Tebboune blamed August’s blazes on criminal elements “attempting to weaken Algeria and undermine its unity”. Between July 26 and September 10, authorities detained 20 people pending investigations for arson and “subversion”—a terrorism-related charge carrying a mandatory death penalty. Among those detained was a supporter of the Movement for the Self-determination of Kabylie (MAK), an opposition group designated as “terrorist” by Algiers.
The strategy mirrors the government’s response to the August 2021 wildfires, which killed at least 90 people. In the wake of those disasters, authorities prosecuted scores of individuals on terrorism-related and other serious charges, culminating in a November 2022 mass trial where a court sentenced 56 people to death. That trial was marred by torture allegations and fair trial violations. Although the Supreme Court ordered a retrial that commenced on March 1, 2026, courts have continued utilizing terrorism-related charges sanctioned by death against peaceful activists in separate proceedings.
## Human Rights Obligations and Institutional Silence
Amnesty International has urged Algerian authorities to immediately establish an official moratorium as a stepping stone toward full abolition, arguing that capital punishment violates the right to life and fails to provide a unique deterrent. Human rights monitors emphasize that accountability for the fires requires transparent investigations into state preparedness, emergency response failures, and infrastructure gaps rather than relying on executions.
As climate change drives increasingly severe wildfires across the region, international bodies point out that Algeria is party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The treaty strictly limits capital punishment to the “most serious crimes” involving intentional killing and prohibits state parties from expanding the scope of offenses punishable by death.
Amnesty International shared its formal concerns and recommendations with the Algerian government on September 7. No official response has been received.
