Algeria cancels death penalty

News reports in Algeria said that the Algerian authorities abrogated the death penalty with the aim to facilitate handing over persons wanted judicially as well as to adapt its judicial systems with the requirements of the Association Agreement signed between Algeria and the European Union.

The Algerian dailies issued on Sunday quoted the Algerian minister of justice al-Tayeb Baaleiz as saying on the sideline of the forum on reforming the justice system that the authorities are thinking in abrogating " death penalty " as a general rule but keeping it in case of most dangerous crimes like terrorism and highest treasons and violating the state security.

In April 2000, the Algerian President formed a national committee to provide proposals over reforming justice. Noteworthy that the decision to death penalty in Algeria has been frozen since 1993. The last sentences in this regard was implemented by the beginning of the 1990s against Islamists who were sentenced before special courts that were desolved later.