Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has called for the reinstatement of the death penalty for arsonists following forest fires that killed at least 12 people. This was reported by infohub.kz.
The head of state ordered the justice ministry to introduce amendments to the criminal law providing for capital punishment for arsonists. It is worth noting that the death penalty still exists in the country's penal code, but no execution has been carried out since 1993.
In recent days, more than 100 wildfires have been recorded in the northeast of the country, most of which have been extinguished. On Saturday, Tebboune did not rule out that the fires may have been deliberately set. According to him, given the intensity of the fires, necessary investigations will be conducted.
On Sunday, the president ordered that amendments providing for the death penalty for those convicted of intentionally starting fires in forested areas be prepared by September 15. Under current law, deliberately starting forest fires is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and in some cases life imprisonment.
Last week, fires swept through large areas of northern Algeria, destroying vast territories, injuring dozens of people, and displacing thousands of residents. The fires broke out during an intense heatwave in North Africa, with Algeria and Tunisia particularly affected.
On Sunday afternoon, Algerian civil protection services were still battling some of the fires. According to the Algerian Press Service, 18 of the 19 fires that broke out in the last 24 hours have been extinguished.
The president ordered compensation to be paid to affected families, as well as the restoration of damaged homes and essential services. He said that investigations would be conducted into the extent of the damage and losses caused by the fires.
Although Algeria regularly experiences forest fires during the summer months, climate change has intensified the severity and impact of recent wildfires in the country.