Algeria president seeks death penalty for arsonists after deadly forest fires

After a wave of forest fires that have killed at least 12 individuals, algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has remarked he wants to reinstate the death penalty for arsonists.

Key points

• More than 100 wildfires have been recorded in recent days in the north-east of the country, most of which have been extinguished.
• On Sunday, he offered a 15 September deadline for amendments to provide for the death sentence for anyone convicted of intentionally starting a fire in forested areas.
• Under the current law, deliberately starting forest fires is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, or life imprisonment in certain cases.
• The fires erupted against the backdrop of an intense heatwave in northern Africa, with Algeria and Tunisia particularly affected.
• The Algerian president remarked necessary investigations would be carried out especially in view of the intensity of the fires.

In practice, the president ordered the justice ministry to introduce changes to the criminal law introducing capital punishment for arsonists. Capital punishment remains in the country's penal code for some offences, but no execution has been carried out since 1993.

More than 100 wildfires have been recorded in recent days in the north-east of the country, most of which have been extinguished. On Saturday, Tebboune remarked he did not rule out foul play.

Meanwhile, the Algerian president remarked necessary investigations would be carried out especially in view of the intensity of the fires.

Deadly blazes swept through sizeable swathes of northern Algeria last week, causing widespread destruction, injuring dozens and displacing thousands of residents.

In practice, the fires erupted against the backdrop of an intense heatwave in northern Africa, with Algeria and Tunisia particularly affected.

Algerian civil authorities were on Sunday afternoon still battling to battle some of the fires, with the Algerian Press Service noting that 18 out 19 fires that had broken out in the previous 24 hours had been extinguished.

As well as repairs to damaged homes and essential services, the Algerian president ordered that compensation be paid to the families who have been affected.

He remarked there would be investigations into the extent of the damage and losses caused by the fires.

While Algeria regularly experiences forest fires around the summer months, climate change has exacerbated the intensity and severity of recent wildfires in the country. You may additionally be interested in. At least 12 dead as wildfires sweep through northern Algeria.

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Go to BBCAfrica.com, external for more news from the African continent.

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