Amnesty International has urged Algeria to abandon plans to expand the use of the death penalty and resume executions after more than three decades without carrying one out.
Axar.az reports, citing Amnesty International, that the rights group said the government is considering amendments to the Penal Code that would introduce the death penalty for intentionally starting or instigating wildfires and for certain crimes involving children.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune ordered the Justice Ministry on August 30 to amend the law following deadly wildfires that devastated parts of the Kabylie region and northeastern Algeria. He later indicated that the death penalty could also be introduced for child abductors and abusers.
Amnesty said the authorities should instead conduct independent and transparent investigations into the causes of the fires and any failures in prevention and emergency response.
The organization also expressed concern over the detention of 20 people between late July and September 10 in connection with arson and “subversion,” noting that terrorism-related charges in Algeria can carry a mandatory death sentence.
Algeria has not carried out an execution since 1993, although courts continue to issue death sentences. Amnesty said the proposed expansion would violate Algeria’s international human rights obligations.
Source: en.axar.az
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