Amnesty International Urges Algeria to Drop Death Penalty Plans Following Deadly Wildfires

Residents in Algeria are currently mourning neighbors lost in the devastating wildfire aftermath. Amnesty International has strongly urged Algeria to abandon plans to expand the death penalty and resume executions, following presidential moves to make wildfire arson a capital crime.

In an official statement issued on Tuesday, the human rights organization called for an immediate halt to President Abdelnadjid Tebboune’s directives. Notably, Algeria has not carried out a single execution in more than 30 years.

The push to broaden capital punishment sentencing gained significant momentum following destructive wildfires that tragically killed at least 12 people and injured 54 others last month. The roaring flames completely wiped out entire villages across the Kabylie region and other parts of northeastern Algeria, the statement highlighted.

In the direct aftermath of these fires, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune instructed Justice Minister Lotfi Boudjemaa to amend existing laws to include arson, alongside "child abductors and abusers." Anyone sentenced to death under these changes could still exercise their right to appeal before being executed, according to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

Amnesty International accused Algerian authorities of using the proposed expanded death penalty as a tool to target political opposition groups. The rights group reported that authorities arrested 20 people pending investigations for arson and subversion—a potentially terrorism-related charge—between July 26 and September 10.

During the severe 2021 wildfires that left 90 people dead, the government similarly prosecuted scores of individuals on terrorism-related charges, publicly blaming the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), which is an opposition group that the government officially classifies as a terrorist organization.

Amnesty International urged the government to focus on addressing the root causes of climate catastrophes instead of solely pursuing alleged "arsonists." The human rights group stated that accountability for the devastating loss of life caused by wildfires cannot be reduced to pursuing alleged perpetrators of arson.