ALGIERS, ALGERIA (HRNW) — Amnesty International has urged Algeria to abandon plans to expand the use of the death penalty, warning that proposed legal changes could reverse more than three decades without an execution in the country.
The organization issued its warning as Algerian authorities examine amendments to the Penal Code that could expand capital punishment following devastating wildfires in the country.
Amnesty said President Abdelmadjid Tebboune instructed the justice minister on August 30 to prepare amendments that would introduce the death penalty for intentionally starting or instigating fires.
The directive followed deadly wildfires that affected parts of northeastern Algeria and the Kabylie region between August 26 and 30.
The organization said the government subsequently began examining additional amendments that could extend capital punishment to cases involving child abduction and abuse.
Algeria has not carried out an execution since 1993, although courts continue to impose death sentences for certain offenses.
Amnesty is calling for an official moratorium on executions as a first step toward full abolition of the death penalty.
The organization also says authorities should investigate the causes of the wildfires comprehensively, including possible failures in prevention, preparedness and emergency response, rather than focusing exclusively on alleged perpetrators.
Amnesty reported that authorities announced the detention of 20 people between July 26 and September 10 in connection with investigations into arson and “subversion.”
The organization has raised particular concerns because terrorism-related offenses in Algeria can carry the death penalty and because it says previous wildfire-related prosecutions have raised serious fair-trial and torture allegations.
Amnesty is urging authorities to ensure that anyone suspected of criminal responsibility receives a fair trial and that accountability for the wildfire disaster does not result in executions.
The debate comes as Algeria faces increasingly severe wildfire risks and wider questions about how governments should respond to disasters while protecting fundamental rights.
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Disclaimer
This article is based on Amnesty International’s September 15, 2026 assessment and publicly available information. Claims concerning political repression, fair-trial violations and the potential impact of proposed legislation are attributed to Amnesty International and are not presented as independently established HRNW findings
