31-08-2026
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has ordered the government to seek the restoration of the death penalty for people convicted of deliberately setting forest fires. The directive follows a recent wave of wildfires in several eastern provinces that killed 12 people and caused extensive damage to homes and essential infrastructure.
During a high-level meeting on Sunday attended by senior civilian and military officials, Tebboune instructed the justice minister to submit a penal-code amendment by September 15. The proposed amendment would introduce capital punishment for anyone intentionally setting fire to forested areas. Any death sentence would reportedly be carried out only after the accused had exhausted all legal avenues of appeal.
Although Algeria’s criminal code already allows the death penalty for several offenses, the country has maintained a de facto moratorium on executions since 1993. Under the current law, deliberately starting forest fires is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, or life imprisonment in certain circumstances.
Authorities are investigating whether some of the fires were started intentionally. Tebboune cited videos showing several blazes beginning at around 1 a.m. and asked provincial governors to provide security authorities with all available information about the outbreaks.
The president also ordered an emergency recovery effort. Families affected by the fires are to receive immediate compensation following damage assessments, while authorities must restore electricity, gas, water and telecommunications services by Saturday at the latest. The housing minister was instructed to coordinate repairs to damaged homes, and Tebboune said normal life should resume in affected areas within a week. The Interior Ministry confirmed that 12 people died in the latest wave of fires.
Entities: Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algeria’s Justice Ministry, Algeria’s Interior Ministry, Algerian criminal code • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
31-08-2026
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has ordered the Justice Ministry to draft amendments that would allow the death penalty for people convicted of deliberately starting forest fires. He set 15 September as the deadline for the proposed changes. Algeria’s penal code already allows capital punishment for some offences, but the country has not carried out an execution since 1993. Under the current law, intentionally starting a forest fire can result in up to 30 years in prison or, in certain circumstances, life imprisonment.
The announcement follows a wave of more than 100 wildfires in north-eastern Algeria, which have killed at least 12 people, injured dozens, displaced thousands and caused extensive damage. Most of the fires had been extinguished, although civil authorities were still responding to some blazes. The Algerian Press Service reported that 18 of the 19 fires recorded during a 24-hour period had been put out by Sunday afternoon.
Tebboune has not ruled out arson or other deliberate causes, saying investigations would be necessary because of the intensity of the fires. He also ordered compensation for affected families and repairs to damaged homes and essential services, alongside investigations into the total losses.
The fires occurred during an intense heatwave affecting North Africa, particularly Algeria and Tunisia. Although forest fires are common in Algeria during the summer, climate change has increased the intensity and severity of recent outbreaks. The proposed death penalty represents a significant escalation in the government’s response, while the investigations will determine whether the fires were intentionally started or were primarily driven by extreme weather conditions.
Entities: Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algeria, Algerian Justice Ministry, Algerian Press Service, Northern and north-eastern Algeria • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
31-08-2026
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has ordered preparations to amend the country’s Criminal Code so that the death penalty could be imposed on people convicted of deliberately starting wildfires. The move follows a deadly outbreak of fires in northeastern Algeria that killed at least 12 people and injured dozens. Tebboune also declared three days of national mourning, describing the deaths as “a great tragedy.”
Interior Minister Saïd Sayoud said five people died in Jijel province, four in Béjaïa and three in Tizi Ouzou. Fifty-four people were being treated in hospital for burns, including six in critical condition. Algeria’s civil protection agency reported that 46 fires were still active on Thursday morning, after recording 193 fires during the previous 24 hours. Authorities said the national death toll remained unchanged at 12.
The fires disrupted transportation, with the national gendarmerie closing three major highways connecting eastern regions because of blazes near Béjaïa, Jijel and Sétif. Unverified videos circulated online showing fires trapping residents in their homes.
Algeria has maintained a moratorium on executions since 1993, but Tebboune instructed officials to prepare the proposed Criminal Code amendment by 15 September. The article places the disaster in the context of increasingly severe environmental conditions. Forest fires are common in northern Algeria during summer, while more frequent droughts and extreme heat are intensifying their impact. In 2023, fires near Béjaïa destroyed hundreds of homes and killed more than 30 people. Authorities also recorded nearly 2,000 fires across Algeria in July of the reported year alone.
Entities: Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Saïd Sayoud, Jijel province, Béjaïa • Tone: urgent • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
