Amnesty International is calling on Algeria to halt plans to broaden the death penalty after deadly wildfires tore through parts of the country. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has directed revisions to the Penal Code that would permit capital punishment for those convicted of deliberately causing or inciting fires, and has suggested extending it to cases involving child abduction and abuse.
Although Algeria has carried out no executions since 1993, its courts still issue death sentences. Amnesty said the government’s response to the wildfires should instead prioritise prevention, emergency readiness and independent inquiries into every factor behind the loss of life, rather than expanding the use of capital punishment.
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The organisation also expressed concern about terrorism-related charges—which can carry the death penalty—being brought against people accused of involvement in the fires. It urged Algeria to uphold fair-trial guarantees and pursue accountability while considering the impact of climate change and shortcomings in disaster preparedness.
