Algeria Proposes Death Penalty for Arson After Wildfires

Devastating forest blazes, exacerbated by intense North African heatwaves, have swept across northern Algeria, killing at least 12 people, injuring dozens, and forcing thousands to flee.

Fueled by strong winds, over 150 fires destroyed entire villages, damaged hundreds of homes, and forced the closure of three major national highways near Bejaia, Jijel, and Setif.

In response, local communities have mobilized. At temporary shelters like the Taleb Abdelkrim School in Djemaa Beni Habibi, volunteers and medical teams are distributing essential supplies, including bread, water, and milk, to hundreds of displaced families.

As wildfire victim Nawara Bouhanach recounted: “I have nothing left. I no longer have a house, I no longer have a village, nothing. I have absolutely nothing left except the clothes I am wearing.”

With investigations launched into the intensity of the blazes, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune refused to rule out foul play. He has ordered criminal law amendments by 15 September to institute capital punishment for intentional arsonists.

Although the penal code already includes the death penalty for specific offences, no executions have taken place in the country since 1993. Tebboune also pledged full financial compensation for affected families alongside immediate structural repairs.

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