Algeria lower house approves expanded death penalty

Algeria’s lower house of parliament approved amendments expanding the death penalty to certain arson and child-related offenses, but the measure is not yet in force and must be reviewed by the Council of the Nation before it can proceed to presidential ratification. The vote took place Thursday, October 1, according to the reports. The precise scope of the offenses covered varies across accounts of the amendments. The amendments to the Penal Code would make capital punishment available for specified acts involving fires and crimes against children. Reports describe the arson provisions as covering deliberate fires in forests and fields, while accounts of the child-related provisions include abduction involving torture, sexual assault or mutilation. The adopted text was not provided in the reports, leaving the exact wording and reach of the provisions unclear. Justice Minister Lotfi Boudjemaa defended the change, calling the death penalty an appropriate legal response to the crimes. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had called for amendments after deadly wildfires in northeastern Algeria in late August.