Algerian Parliament Speaker: Criminalizing French Colonization a Landmark Step to Protect National Memory

The Speaker of the People’s National Assembly of Algeria Brahim Boughali said that the proposed legislation criminalizing French colonization in Algeria represents a significant milestone in safeguarding historical memory from attempts to erase or falsify it, given its national symbolic importance and political and historical significance.

Following the plenary session where five bills were voted on, including the proposed legsilation to criminalize French colonization in Algeria, Boughali stressed the special significance of this legislation, which embodies “national symbolism and carries political, legal, historical, and moral dimensions.” Boughali underlined that the aim of this proposal “is not to revive the past with a vengeful attitude or reopen old wounds, but rather to illuminate historical truth and protect national memory from any attempts to erase or distort it.”

Criminalizing colonization represents “the expression of the people’s will and a stance that underscores the Algerian state’s commitment to its legitimate right to defend its history and memory, as well as its fidelity to the sacrifices of millions of martyrs whose blood built the Algeria we know today, an Algeria where we enjoy freedom and independence.” He emphasized that this is “a legal position aligned with the principles of justice, international law, and human values.” This legislation, he added, powerfully reaffirms “Algeria’s rejection of any attempt to justify colonial crimes, downplay their atrocities, or evade legal accountability.”