Algeria’s lower house of Parliament opens debate on law criminalizing French colonization
The plenary session to debate the proposed law criminalizing French colonization in Algeria opened on Saturday at the Peoples National Assembly (lower house of Parliament).
The session is being held under the chairmanship of the Speaker of the People’s National Assembly, Ibrahim Boughali, and in the presence of members of the government.
The draft of this proposal, consisting of five chapters comprising 27 articles, is based on “the principles of international law that affirm peoples’ right to legal redress, the achievement of historical justice, and the rejection of impunity.” It aims to “establish responsibility, secure recognition and an apology for crimes of colonialism as a foundation for reconciliation with history and the protection of national memory.”
While presenting the text of the proposal, on behalf of the heads of the parliamentary groups at the People’s National Assembly, Boughali stated that the law “is not merely a legislative text, but a moment of awareness and loyalty, and a defining milestone in the course of modern Algeria, through which the state, via its legislative institution, renews its commitment to the national memory.”
After recalling the crimes committed by French colonialism against Algerians over 132 years of brutal occupation, Boughali underscored “the Algerian people’s attachment to their national memory,” noting that “the future cannot be built by skipping over the past.”
