Algerian President Calls for Death Penalty to Combat Wildfire Arson

Sun Sep 06 2026 00:37:56 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

President Tebboune pushes for reinstating capital punishment amid deadly fires, sparking debate on law and climate impacts.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune demanded the re‑introduction of the death penalty for arsonists after a series of forest fires that killed at least twelve people. He ordered the justice ministry to draft amendments that would allow capital punishment for those who intentionally start fires in forests, a move that would revive a punishment unused since 1993. More than a hundred fires were recorded this week, driven by a severe heatwave and climate change, prompting the president to set a 15 September deadline for legal reforms and to pledge compensation and reconstruction for affected families.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has called for the reinstatement of the death penalty against arsonists after a series of deadly forest fires that left at least 12 people dead.

The president ordered the justice ministry to draft amendments that would enable capital punishment for those convicted of intentionally starting fires in forested areas. Under Algeria’s penal code, arson can currently attract up to 30 years in prison, or life sentence in special circumstances, but no executions have taken place since 1993.

More than 100 wildfires were logged in the north‑east of the country this week, a number that has been attributed to an intense heatwave and the growing effects of climate change.

Tebboune said he did not rule out foul play and insisted that investigations would continue, while setting a deadline of 15 September for the legal changes to be adopted.

The president announced that the government would compensate affected families, rebuild damaged homes, and improve emergency services as part of a broader response to the fire crisis.

As we deliver this story across multiple timelines, subscribers can explore alternate futures where the president’s measures could have curbed the fires or where climate action strategies might have altered the outcome.