Algerian lawmakers have passed legislation imposing the death penalty on individuals convicted of forest arson, following a series of deadly wildfires that affected the country’s northeast during the summer. The official count of fatalities from the fires stands at 12, although eyewitness accounts suggest the actual number of deaths could be significantly higher.

The decision marks a shift in Algeria’s approach to capital punishment, as the country has maintained a moratorium on executions since 1993. However, in August, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune instructed the justice minister to revise the penal code to include additional crimes subject to the death penalty, responding to growing concerns over public safety and the severity of recent offenses.

In addition to forest arson, lawmakers expanded the scope of capital punishment to cover child abductions that involve torture, sexual assault, or mutilation. Justice Minister Lotfi Boudjemaa defended the new measures in parliament, describing the death penalty as an appropriate deterrent against what he characterized as increasingly organized criminal activity related to arson.

Although no executions have been carried out since the moratorium was enacted, death sentences have been handed down in cases tied to terrorism. President Tebboune has indicated that executions may proceed once all appeals have been exhausted.

Minister Boudjemaa emphasized that the judicial process will maintain safeguards for defendants facing the death penalty. These include opportunities for appeals and the possibility of seeking clemency through a presidential pardon.

The legislative changes come amid heightened public concern about the causes and consequences of the wildfires, which devastated large areas of forest and displaced numerous residents. Authorities describe the arson incidents as systematic and linked to criminal networks, underscoring the government’s rationale for adopting more stringent penalties in hopes of preventing future tragedies.