The Algerian parliament approves a law criminalizing French colonialism.

The Algerian National Assembly (parliament) approved on Sunday the text of a law criminalizing French colonialism in Algeria.

The public session in which the law was approved was chaired by the Speaker of the Council, Azzouz Nasseri, in the presence of the Minister of Mujahideen and Rights Holders, Abdelmalek Tachrift, and the Minister of Relations with Parliament, Ms. Nadjiba Djilali.

The ultimate response to yesterday's colonizer

Tashrift described the text as “the ultimate response of the Algerian people, through their representatives, to yesterday’s colonizer and his extremists, whose ancestors committed crimes against our land and people that disgust human memory, crimes that will remain a historical curse haunting the occupiers.”.

He said that “the right to memory does not expire with time,” and the minister reiterated that “victorious Algeria guarantees the restoration of rights through the strength of legislation and the enforcement of the rule of law.”.

He praised the efforts made by the Joint Committee and its contribution to “strengthening the drafting of this legislative text so that it becomes a strong legal edifice and a fortress of national memory that cannot be subject to any interpretation.”.

Addressing the disputed provisions

The committee tasked with addressing the disputed provisions in the text of the law criminalizing French colonialism in Algeria focused, in its report, on “scrutinizing the terminology, removing any possible ambiguity, and achieving consistency between the various articles in line with the endeavor to enshrine the sovereign position of the Algerian state in the memory file,” considering that this text embodies “the transition of the demand for official recognition of colonial crimes from the scope of moral or symbolic commitment to a clear legal and institutional framework.”.

It also focused on “framing historical and legal responsibilities in a way that reflects the gravity of the violations committed during the colonial era and establishes a sound legal approach based on the recognition of truth, fairness and the preservation of rights, in line with the state’s firm official position in addressing the memory file.”.

The Speaker of the National Assembly considered its ratification as “a tribute to victorious Algeria for the sacrifices and heroism of its martyrs and freedom fighters.”.