00:00Algeria's President Abdelmajid Tebun has ordered the introduction of the death penalty for
00:05deliberately setting forest fires after a recent wave of wildfire killed 12 people.
00:11Tebun instructed the Justice Minister to submit an amendment to the penal code by September 15,
00:16allowing capital punishment for anyone convicted of intentionally setting forested areas ablaze.
00:23The sentence would only be carried out after all appeals have been exhausted.
00:27Algeria has maintained a de facto moratorium on execution since 1993,
00:33although the death penalty remains in the criminal code for several offenses.
00:37Tebun also ordered authorities to investigate how the fires started,
00:42noting that several blazes appear to have broken out around the same time.
00:47The president ordered immediate compensation for affected families and called for electricity,
00:52gas, water and telecommunication services in fire heat areas to be restored by next Saturday.
00:59He also instructed construction companies to repair damaged homes,
01:03saying normal life in the affected communities should resume within one week.
