Algeria issues first death sentences under new drug laws

The Algiers Court has issued its first death sentences under Algeria’s Law 25-03, a recent legislative measure targeting the illicit trade of narcotics and psychotropic substances. Nine individuals were convicted in a case involving the seizure of 113 kilograms of cocaine and over 225,000 pregabalin tablets. The court classified the organized criminal activities as threats to national security and public order.

In a separate but related legislative development, the lower house of the Algerian Parliament approved amendments to the penal code that extend the death penalty to certain crimes, including intentional forest fires and child abduction. The move follows devastating wildfires in the northeast of the country that resulted in significant casualties. While the reform received support from the presidential majority and Islamist parties, it faced opposition from secular and leftist factions. The measure now awaits review by the upper house of Parliament.