Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has called for the death penalty for anyone who deliberately starts a forest fire, after at least 12 people were killed and 54 injured in a devastating wave of wildfires across northeastern Algeria. Tebboune ordered the justice minister to submit a proposal by 15 September to amend the penal code, introducing capital punishment for those convicted of intentional arson in forested areas. Any death sentence, authorities clarified, would only be carried out after all legal avenues of appeal had been exhausted.

The fires swept through three provinces east of the capital Algiers — Jijel, Béjaïa, and Tizi Ouzou — where Interior Minister Saïd Sayoud confirmed five deaths in Jijel, four in Béjaïa, and three in Tizi Ouzou. Six of the 54 hospitalised victims remained in critical condition. As of Thursday morning, 46 fires were still burning out of 193 recorded in the previous 24 hours, with three major highways in the region closed due to the blazes. Local sources suggested the true death toll may be higher than official figures reflect.

Algeria already permits the death penalty under its criminal code for several offences, but has observed a de facto moratorium on executions since 1993 — meaning no one has been put to death in over three decades. Deliberately starting forest fires currently carries up to 30 years in prison, or life imprisonment in aggravated cases. Tebboune's directive would end the moratorium specifically for arsonists. Several suspects have reportedly been detained on suspicion of arson, though it has not been confirmed that the fires were deliberately set.

Tebboune pointed to surveillance footage suggesting coordinated intent. "It is unusual that fires break out simultaneously — they started around 1am and spread rapidly without wind," he said. He ordered provincial governors to hand all available information to security authorities. Alongside the criminal justice measures, Tebboune directed officials to compensate affected families, restore electricity, gas, water and telecommunications by Saturday at the latest, and ensure normal life resumes within a week.

Algeria has suffered repeated wildfire crises in recent years. In 2021, some 90 people died — including 25 ill-equipped soldiers — and in July 2023, fires near Béjaïa killed more than 30 people and destroyed hundreds of homes. Authorities on both occasions blamed arsonists. While summer wildfires are a recurring feature of northern Algeria's climate, more frequent droughts and extreme heat linked to broader regional warming trends have been intensifying their scale and destructive power. Nearly 2,000 fires were recorded nationwide in July of this year alone.