The Algerian Council of the Nation is set to review a proposed reform of the Penal Code that mandates the death penalty for certain acts of arson, child abductions, and various serious offenses against national security.
This would mark a significant toughening of Algeria’s penal framework.
Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Lotfi Boudjemaa, presented the bill – which provides for the expansion of capital punishment – to senators following its adoption by the National People’s Assembly. The text amends and supplements the Ordinance of June 8, 1966 (the Penal Code) and broadens the scope of offenses punishable by death.
This reform follows the wildfires that devastated several provinces (*wilayas*), notably Jijel, last summer, and comes amidst a climate where authorities are demonstrating an increased resolve to toughen the penal response.
The bill notably stipulates the death penalty for perpetrators of arson targeting forests and fields, as well as for individuals involved in the intentional destruction of public or private property when committed for the benefit of foreign parties – acts classified as treason, collusion with a foreign power, or organised crime.
The measures also extend to certain offenses against security, public order, national unity, or economic and environmental stability. Individuals who finance, instigate, or facilitate these acts –
including via social media – are also targeted.
This toughening of the law appears particularly significant regarding offenses defined by broad concepts such as security, economic stability, or national unity.
Extending the death penalty to categories of acts that are open to broad interpretation raises
questions regarding the proportionality of sanctions and the precise definition of conduct that could trigger the penal system’s harshest punishment.
The text further stipulates that those convicted cannot benefit from the mitigating circumstances provided for in the Penal Code.
Child protection constitutes the other major aspect of the reform. The text mandates the death penalty for perpetrators of child abductions, with harsher penalties applicable when the acts involve torture, sexual assault, or abuse.
The government presents this measure as a response to a surge in particularly serious crimes. This security-focused rationale accompanies a substantial expansion of the scope of capital punishment, justified by the need for deterrence.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had previously advocated for this direction following last summer’s wildfires, asserting that death sentences would be carried out once all legal avenues of appeal were exhausted.
The reform thus marks a departure from Algeria’s long-standing practice, characterized by a de facto moratorium on executions. By prioritizing harsher penalties over the mere improvement of prevention and investigative mechanisms, Algiers is adopting a markedly more punitive penal approach.
The upcoming vote in the Council of the Nation will reveal the extent to which the authorities intend to push this new security-oriented shift.
MK/AK/Sf/fss/as/APA