Algerian lawmakers pass a bill restoring the death penalty for arson

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Algerian lawmakers have passed a bill reintroducing the death penalty for arson following deadly and devastating wildfires this summer.

The bill passed 307-17 with seven abstentions on Thursday. Algeria has not carried out an execution since 1993, but human rights groups say courts continue to impose death sentences.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had warned in August that those responsible for the fires that devastated large parts of the country would face the death penalty.

A moratorium on executions had been in effect since 1993, the year of the country’s last executions of three Islamic militants convicted over a bloody attack at Algiers International Airport.

The bill would also make child abduction a capital offense.

“The adoption of the death penalty for these acts is the appropriate legal response to eradicate these crimes,” Justice Minister Lotfi Boudjemaa said.

The bill received support from conservatives and Islamists, who hold a majority in the National Assembly, the lower chamber. It was criticized by international organizations such as Amnesty International.

The official death toll from the wildfires was 12, but the actual figure is believed to be much higher, with videos on social media showing dozens of coffins lined up beside mass graves last month.

The bill is set to be reviewed by the upper house of Parliament before it is ratified.