Court in Algeria sentenced 38 people to death, who burned one alive volunteer firefighter who were passed off as arsonists in the great fires that broke out in the country in 2021. But the death sentences will automatically be commuted to life because since 1993 Algeria has imposed a moratorium on executions.
The lynching of the 38-year-old painter in the region of Kabylia, caused disgust throughout the country. A total of 94 people were accused and of these 26 were acquitted and 38 were sentenced to death. The rest were sentenced to prison terms from three to 20 years, as announced by the general prosecutor of Algiers.
At first instance, 49 of the accused were sentenced to death and only seven were acquitted. All of them were charged with acts of terrorism that threatened the security of the state, national unity and the stability of institutions, participation in intentional and premeditated homicide and conspiracy.
“The verdict is fair. The court took statements from the defendants in order to issue a fair decision for everyone,” said Mr Fahreddin Berahnaone of the lawyers in the civil suit.
In August 2021, within one week, the huge fires in Kabylia burned thousands of acres and at least 90 people lost their lives. When he learned that he was suspected of arson, the 38-year-old Jamel Bensmailwho had gone to help put out the fire, voluntarily presented himself to the police to give an explanation.
Videos posted on social media showed a crowd surrounding the police vehicle Bensmail was riding in and forcing him out. After beating him and burning him alive, the attackers took selfies with his corpse.
Those depicted in the photos later tried to erase their tracks and delete them from the internet, but users from all over the country, who had kept copies, collected them and handed them over to the police so that the crime would not go unpunished.
Source: News Beast
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