Algeria declares France’s colonial rule a crime in new law

Algeria's parliament unanimously passed a law declaring French colonization a crime, demanding an apology and reparations from France. The legislation cites crimes including nuclear tests, extrajudicial killings, torture, and resource plundering during France's rule from 1830 to 1962. Algerian officials stated the law aims to preserve national memory and send a clear message regarding the country's stance on its colonial past. While France has acknowledged the colonization as a "crime against humanity," it has not offered an apology. Analysts suggest the law is largely symbolic but politically significant, marking a potential rupture in the relationship between Algeria and France regarding historical memory.

Algeria's parliament unanimously passed a law declaring French colonization a crime, demanding an apology and reparations from France. The legislation cites crimes including nuclear tests, extrajudicial killings, torture, and resource plundering during France's rule from 1830 to 1962. Algerian officials stated the law aims to preserve national memory and send a clear message regarding the country's stance on its colonial past. While France has acknowledged the colonization as a "crime against humanity," it has not offered an apology. Analysts suggest the law is largely symbolic but politically significant, marking a potential rupture in the relationship between Algeria and France regarding historical memory.

In December 2025, Algeria's parliament unanimously passed a law declaring France's colonial rule a crime. The legislation seeks to hold France legally responsible for its colonial past and the tragedies it caused in Algeria from 1830 to 1962. The law catalogues crimes such as nuclear tests, extrajudicial killings, torture, and resource plundering. It also demands an apology and reparations from Paris for material and moral damages. While the law may not have international legal weight, it signifies a political shift in Algeria's approach to France regarding colonial memory and asserts that Algeria's national memory is not negotiable.

Algeria's parliament has unanimously passed a law declaring France's colonial rule, which lasted from 1830 to 1962, a crime. The law demands an apology and reparations from France for the period marked by mass killings and deportations, and also criminalizes the glorification of colonialism. This action occurs amid strained diplomatic relations between Algeria and France, considered by some to be at their lowest point since Algeria's independence. The Algerian government seeks compensation for the "tragedies" caused by France and the return of historical artifacts, including a 16th-century cannon. The move comes as pressure grows on Western powers to address reparations for colonialism and return looted artifacts.