Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune ordered the introduction of the death penalty for arson. The country has still not recovered from the wildfires that claimed the lives of at least 12 people over the past week, Bloomberg reports, as reported by UNN.
Details
According to the Algerian president, amendments to the Criminal Code are to be submitted to the government in the coming days, while "several people" involved in causing the fires have already been arrested, according to the statement.
Additionally
The fires broke out in the middle of last week in three eastern Algerian regions with extensive forest areas—Jijel, Béjaïa, and Tizi Ouzou. This forced many people to leave their homes as strong winds spread the flames. The authorities reported around a dozen deaths and declared three days of national mourning.
Earlier, fires devastated Algerian forests in 2023. More than 30 people died then, while around 90 people died two years earlier. The authorities also blamed arsonists for those incidents.
Although the death penalty is applied in the country for terrorism and treason, according to data from the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, executions have not been carried out in Algeria since 1993.
Recall
The wildfires that this summer engulfed the French regions of Gironde, Landes, and Var caused around 25,000 insurance claims, with preliminary damage estimated at nearly €500 million.