Parliament to Discuss the Draft Criminalising Colonialism

The National People’s Assembly has scheduled plenary sessions for December 20, 21, and 24 to discuss two drafts: one criminalising French colonialism and the other amending the Algerian Nationality Law. This follows the decision to refer the two proposals to the government for consideration.

According to the agenda of the lower house of parliament, the National People’s Assembly will hold a plenary session on Saturday, December 20, dedicated to discussing a draft amending and complementing Ordinance No. 70-86 of December 15, 1970, concerning the Algerian Nationality Code.

The proceedings will continue on Sunday, December 21, 2025, with a second plenary session scheduled to discuss a draft criminalising French colonialism. The agenda includes the presentation of the draft law and the preliminary report, along with interventions from the heads of the parliamentary groups.

The parliamentary sessions will conclude on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, with a plenary session dedicated to voting on two drafts: one amending the Algerian Nationality Law and the other criminalising French colonialism. This follows the National People’s Assembly’s official approval to refer the two drafts to the government for a final decision.

According to information obtained by Echorouk from parliamentary sources, the NPA’s office approved a draft submitted by MP Hicham Sfar of the National Democratic Rally (RND) to amend the Algerian Nationality Law. The amendment would allow the revocation of citizenship for certain Algerians residing abroad in case of committing acts that undermine the sovereignty and national unity of the state.

The approval also included another parliamentary proposal concerning the criminalisation of French colonialism, prepared by a group of MPs from various political parties, under the supervision of the Speaker of the National People’s Assembly, Ibrahim Boughali. Both bills will be referred to the government for a decision on their acceptance or rejection.

The issue of criminalising colonialism is a recurring demand in the Algerian political arena, its roots tracing back to the one-party era of 1984. It first materialised in a legislative initiative presented by historian and former MP Mohamed Arezki Ferrad in 2001. Subsequent initiatives followed, notably in 2006 in response to the law glorifying colonialism adopted by France in 2005, and then with another proposal in 2010 by former FLN MP Moussa Abdi. This was followed by a renewed movement in 2019 led by former MP Kamel Belarbi.

Last March, the proposal resurfaced after the Speaker of the National People’s Assembly, Ibrahim Boughali, officially reopened the debate on it amidst an unprecedented diplomatic crisis between the two countries. According to the draft checked out by Echorouk, the draft to criminalise colonialism, prepared by members of parliament in collaboration with experts and historians, focuses on explicitly condemning colonialism in all its forms and holding France fully responsible for crimes against humanity committed during the colonial period. These crimes range from the genocide that claimed the lives of more than 5.6 million Algerians to nuclear tests in the Sahara, landmine planting, looting of property, changing surnames, and stealing national heritage.

The document emphasised that these crimes are not subject to any statute of limitations or amnesty, in accordance with the provisions of international humanitarian law. It affirmed Algeria’s right to demand material and moral compensation, and considered official recognition, apology, and reparations as inherent and inalienable rights of the Algerian people. It also stipulated penal sanctions, including imprisonment or fines, against anyone who promotes or glorifies French colonialism, to protect national memory from attempts at distortion and falsification.

As for the draft amendment to the Algerian Nationality Law, complementing Ordinance No. 86-70 of December 15, 1970, submitted by MP Hicham Sfar, he stated that it includes a vision aimed at adapting the legal text to constitutional changes and international obligations, and at safeguarding the concept of national identity from practices that infringe upon the sovereignty and supreme interests of the state.

The MP explained that more than 20 years have passed since the last amendment to the Nationality Law, necessitating a review of some of its provisions, particularly those related to deprivation of original or acquired nationality. This review is needed to address what he described as alien phenomena: the harming of the state’s vital interests and attacks on its symbols by individuals who hold its nationality but reside outside its borders.

According to the text of the draft, an Algerian residing abroad can be stripped of his/her original nationality if he/she is found to have committed acts that harm the interests of the state or its national unity, or if he/she shows loyalty to a foreign state while insisting on renouncing loyalty to Algeria, in addition to providing services to a foreign state or forces with the intention of harming the interests of the country, despite an official warning issued to him/her by the Algerian authorities.