ALGIERS, 01 Sept. - (ANA) - Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Sunday urged for the death penalty to be imposed for arsonists, after deadly forest fires killed 12 people in the country.

 

Tebboune called for an amendment to the penal code during a high-level meeting on Sunday, attended by military officials.

 

He urged for the justice minister to submit an amendment to the penal code by 15 September for anyone found guilty of lighting fires on forested land, while state television reported that the capital sentence would only be carried out once all legal avenues of appeals had been exhausted.

 

As the deadly blazes continue, authorities have said that arson was a contributing factor, along with drought and heatwaves.

 

Under the current law, intentionally setting forest fires carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, or life imprisonment in some cases.

 

Following Tebboune’s instruction for the justice ministry to draft the amendment, the next step will see the proposal move through the formal legislative process before it becomes law, though it is still unclear how long the process will take.

 

The development comes as Tebboune cast doubt on the causes of the recent forest fires, saying: “It is not normal for fires to break out at one o’clock at night when the winds are calm. This is not normal”.

 

He has also called on governors of  affected provinces to “report all the information they have about the fires to security services”.

 

“Whoever thinks that he is affecting the country is mistaken. It is true that we have lost victims and have sustained losses, but the country is resilient,” he added.

 

Algeria’s Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb also visited the affected areas to assess the damage and help coordinate relief efforts.

 

While capital punishment exists in Algerian law, the country has upheld a de facto moratorium on executions since 1993, resulting in death sentences being commuted rather than carried out.

 

 

 

 

In recent weeks, the province of Jijel in eastern Algeria has witnessed unprecedented fires, tearing through entire villages and highlands.

 

At least 12 people have been killed since the fires started, authorities confirmed, adding that a further 54 people are being treated for burns, including six serious cases.

 

Many residents in Bejaia and Jijel have been evacuated, according to the civil protection agency and local media, while firefighters battle blazes.

 

Three major highways have been closed due to the fires, while the civil protection agency said it has deployed significant resources to tackle the blazes.

 

Tebboune has promised those affected that the government would compensate them for everything lost, including their homes, property, and livestock.

 

However, the repeated fires have triggered anger against the government, with many calling on authorities to take serious measures to address the issue.

 

Authorities say nearly 2,000 fires were recorded in July this year.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/01 September 2026 - - -