Overview
- President Abdelmadjid Tebboune directed the justice minister to draft a law by September 15 to reintroduce capital punishment for people convicted of deliberately starting forest fires.
- The order follows wildfires in northeastern provinces that killed 12 people and injured more than 50, prompting three days of national mourning and government promises of compensation and rehousing.
- Civil protection agencies reported an unusually large number of simultaneous blazes across the country, with different outlets citing between about 154 and 193 fires in a 24-hour span and dozens still active during the latest updates.
- Authorities say several people have been arrested and provincial governors were ordered to hand over information to security services as officials investigate whether some fires were started deliberately.
- The announcement raises legal and human-rights questions because Algeria has not carried out executions since 1993 and reporting conflicts over whether the president demanded 'immediate' executions or the normal post-appeal process.