Algeria

Algeria Criminalizes French Colonial Rule in New Law

Is Algeria asserting sovereignty over colonial memory or is France refusing to acknowledge historical crimes?

Published 4 hours ago

Algeria Criminalizes French Colonial Rule in New Law

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Above: Brahim Boughali at the opening of the National People's Assembly's ordinary parliamentary session in Algiers on Sept. 15, 2025. Image credit: Anis/APP/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

This bill criminalizing French colonial era abuses reflects President Tebboune's principled stance that Algeria won't bargain away its memory for material gain. France's hostile reaction to this legislation exposes its refusal to acknowledge legal responsibility for systematic torture, extrajudicial killings and resource plundering from 1830 to 1962. Algeria sacrificed millions for freedom and deserves recognition of these crimes without being dismissed by a former colonizer.

The News RFI Le Monde.fr

Government-critical narrative

Turning complex historical debates into criminal legislation risks politicizing the past and undermining long-term reconciliation between the two countries. Historical memory is best addressed through open research, public debate, and joint scholarly work rather than punitive laws that can harden divisions and inflame tensions. France has already acknowledged suffering during the colonial era and continues to support archival access, historical research, and cooperative initiatives to examine this difficult shared history.

The Associated Press FOX News JURIST