Algeria’s authorities must immediately abandon any plans to expand the scope of the death penalty or resume executions after more than three decades without carrying one out, said Amnesty International as the government examines amendments to the penal code that would broaden the use of the death penalty. The organization calls on Algeria’s authorities to immediately establish an official moratorium as a first step towards fully abolishing the death penalty. It also urges the authorities to adopt a human-rights centred response to the recent devastating wildfires, including by ensuring effective investigations into all factors that led to the tragic loss of life and accountability without resort to the death penalty.
On 30 August, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune
instructed
the Minister of Justice to amend the Penal Code by 15 September to “reintroduce” the death penalty for intentionally starting or instigating fires. He stressed that anyone sentenced to death would face execution as soon as they have exhausted their right of appeal. The directive came in the wake of deadly wildfires that erupted between 26 and 30 August, wiping out entire villages across the Kabylie region and other parts of northeastern Algeria. On 6 September, the government started
examining
the proposed draft amendments to the Penal Code and the president
indicated
that they would further introduce the death penalty for “child abductors and abusers”.
“The devastation and loss of life caused by these fires is a profound tragedy and should spur the Algerian authorities into taking immediate steps focusing both on prevention and accountability. But walking back from over 30 years without executions is a deeply retrograde response that runs counter to respect for the right to life,” said Nadege Lahmar, Algeria Researcher.
“It is also at odd with Algeria’s international human rights obligations, in addition to its consistent support to UN General Assembly
resolutions
calli
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