Algerian parliament passes law criminalizing French colonialism

By Hassen Djebril and Rania Abu Shamala

ALGIERS, Algeria/ ISTANBUL (AA) – The Algerian parliament voted unanimously on Wednesday to pass a law criminalizing the French colonial era in the North African nation between 1830 and 1962.

The vote took place during a public session of the People’s National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, attended by Speaker Brahim Boughali, and broadcast live by state television.

The law will be sent to the Council of the Nation, the upper house of parliament, for approval before being published in the Official Gazette, marking its entry into force.

This is the first time the Algerian parliament has approved, in a public session, a law criminalizing French colonialism, which lasted for more than 130 years.

The parliamentary move comes at a time of one of the most serious crises in relations between Algeria and France in recent history.

Tensions escalated months ago after Paris recognized Morocco’s autonomy plan for resolving the Western Sahara conflict.

Algeria supports the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination and backs the Polisario Front, which rejects Morocco’s autonomy proposal.