President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria now intends to reintroduce\nthe death penalty for perpetrators of forest arson. Forest fires have\nleft Algeria in mourning for three days, resulting in 12 deaths and\ndozens of injuries.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a great tragedy,\u201d said Tebboune, referring to the loss of\nlife in the fires, as reported on Tuesday (1\/9\/2026).<\/p>\n
\u201cAmendments to the Penal Code will be carried out,\u201d he asserted,\naccording to Euronews.<\/p>\n
As of Monday, authorities reported that 46 fire hotspots remained\nactive out of 193 fires recorded during the previous 24 hours.\nUnverified videos shared online depict massive flames trapping residents\ninside their homes.<\/p>\n
Algeria has maintained a moratorium on the death penalty since 1993.\nHowever, the revision is expected to be implemented no later than 15\nSeptember.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Said Sayoud confirmed five fatalities in\nJijel province, four in Bejaia, and three in Tizi Ouzou following the\noutbreak of the fires. He stated that 54 people are currently\nhospitalised with burns, including six individuals in critical\ncondition.<\/p>\n
The Algerian military police, the Gendarmerie, announced that three\nmajor highways connecting the eastern regions have been closed due to\nthe ongoing forest fires. While summer wildfires are common in northern\nAlgeria, more frequent droughts and extreme heatwaves have increased the\nintensity of the blazes.<\/p>\n
In July 2023, wildfires ravaged thousands of hectares of forest and\nagricultural land near Bejaia, destroying hundreds of homes and causing\nmore than 30 deaths. Authorities recorded nearly 2,000 fires across the\ncountry in July this year alone.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/president-calls-for-death-penalty-for-forest-arsonists-1788252973", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }