Algeria handed down death sentences to 38 individuals on Monday for the lynching of a man accused of arson while bravely battling lethal wildfires.
The death sentences will be converted to life imprisonment, in line with Algeria’s ongoing moratorium on capital punishment since the last executions in 1993.
In a case harking back to the summer of 2021, the northeastern Kabylie region was shaken by the tragic death of 38-year-old artist Djamel Ben Ismail, igniting a nationwide wave of outrage and sorrow.
Among the 94 individuals whose cases were addressed in the Algiers court of appeal, 27 were cleared of charges, while the remaining 29, who were spared the death penalty, were handed sentences spanning from three to 20 years, according to the state news agency APS.
Upon learning that he was a suspect in the arson cases responsible for a nationwide tragedy claiming the lives of at least 90 people, Ben Ismail voluntarily surrendered to the police.
Footage shared on the internet depicted a group encircling a police van, physically assaulting an individual within, subsequently pulling him out and setting him ablaze, with certain onlookers even taking selfies beside the victim’s remains.
As the horrifying images gained widespread attention, frequently accompanied by the hashtag #JusticePourDjamelBenIsmail, those individuals who had taken selfies attempted to conceal their involvement.
Internet users nationwide gathered video clips and captured screenshots to ensure that the crime would not escape justice.
