According to the content of the issued report, the joint committee – consisting of 10 representatives and 10 members of the National Assembly, in addition to 4 reserve members from each chamber – clarified the amendments made to the articles that were in dispute. The first article, which affirms Algeria’s condemnation of colonialism, was incorporated into the second article, which defines the goal of the law. Article 5, which lists colonial crimes in Algeria, was also slightly amended, adding only the conjunction “and” in the phrase “rape or sexual enslavement” to become “rape and/or sexual enslavement.”
Regarding the cooperation of the movement’s collaborators with the French army, it was described in the text as “treason” instead of “high treason,” as was stated in the first formulation (Article 7). The word “apology” was also deleted from Article 9, so that its text became as follows: “The Algerian state shall work by all legal and judicial means and tools, within a framework that guarantees official recognition by the French state of its colonial past.”
Article 10 relating to compensation has been completely deleted. This article, in its first version, considered that “full and fair compensation for all material and moral damages caused by French colonialism” is “an inalienable right of the Algerian state and the Algerian people.” Article 25 relating to nationalized property was also deleted. It stipulated that: “Real estate properties that were transferred to the Algerian state as a result of nationalization procedures, transfer to the state, or abandonment by their owners are subject to the provisions of Article 42 of Order No. 10-01 dated 16 Ramadan 1431, corresponding to August 26, 2010, relating to the Supplementary Finance Law of 2010.”
Regarding the nation’s recognition of those who contributed to the struggle against French colonialism, Article 15 no longer refers to the Law of the Mujahid and the Martyr, and has been reformulated as follows: “The state guarantees the dignity of all Algerians who contributed directly or indirectly to the struggle against French colonialism during the popular resistance, the national movement, and the liberation revolution, in recognition of the sacrifices they made in order to restore national sovereignty.”
Regarding the glorification of colonialism, the content of Article 16, relating to criminal penalties for glorifying colonialism, has been incorporated into Article 21, and this article stipulates that “Anyone who glorifies colonialism through words, actions, gestures, writings, drawings, or by publishing video clips, pictures, or audio recordings aimed at justifying or praising colonialism, shall be punished by imprisonment for a period of three to five years and a fine ranging between 100,000 and 500,000 Algerian dinars.” In the case of recidivism. The penalty is doubled.” As for penalties as well, the content of Article 17 was merged into Article 18. Its new text became as follows: “Anyone who promotes colonialism through media, academic, cultural or political activities aimed at reviving, disseminating and/or glorifying colonial ideas or denying their historical importance shall be punished by imprisonment from five to ten years and a fine ranging from 500,000 to one million Algerian dinars.”
On March 9, 2026, the Algerian Parliament officially approved the “Law Criminalizing French Colonialism,” which is historical legislation aimed at establishing legal and moral responsibility for the colonial period extending from 1830 to 1962, considering the French colonial era a “state crime” and a form of genocide and crimes against humanity. The National People’s Assembly unanimously approved the final version of the law after agreeing on articles that were a matter of disagreement between the two chambers of Parliament. Regarding the fundamental amendments, the final approved version dropped the demands of “official apology” and “financial compensation” from the text of the law, in response to the reservations of the National Assembly, which saw that these demands were not completely in line with the directions of the Presidency of the Republic, as President Tebboune previously stated that “Algeria is not chasing financial compensation, but rather seeks to recognize the truth.”
Abdo.H
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