Algiers, December 16, 2025 – A proposed law criminalizing colonialism in Algeria is progressing as a sovereign initiative grounded in international law, according to Kamal Ben Khelouf, a member of parliament.
Ben Khelouf stated that the legislative effort reflects Algeria’s long-standing political will to address the historical injustices of colonialism within a proper legal framework. He emphasized that the parliamentary committee responsible for drafting the law consulted extensively with historians, experts, state institutions like the Ministry of Veterans and the Memory Committee, and international law specialists.
These consultations, Ben Khelouf explained, led to a draft that underwent thorough examination before being submitted to the parliamentary bureau, the government, and subsequently, the National Defense Committee for review and approval.
The proposed law, according to Ben Khelouf, possesses a unique character. While a national law, it is also firmly based on international law and conventions, recognizing that the crimes committed during French colonialism transcend national boundaries and assume an international dimension. He asserted that aggression forms the legal basis for all crimes committed during the colonial period, constituting a complete crime under international law.
Ben Khelouf further elaborated that French colonialism involved heinous acts classified as crimes against humanity, including genocide, forced displacement, cultural extermination, and suppression of identity, religion, and language, in addition to plunder and mass murder. He argued that these actions compel France to acknowledge, apologize, and provide reparations, principles enshrined in international law.
Addressing the issue of historical memory, Ben Khelouf refuted French claims of ‘spreading civilization,’ citing the skulls of Algerian resistance fighters preserved in the Musée de l’Homme in Paris as evidence of the brutality of colonial practices. He also highlighted Algeria’s pre-colonial existence as a recognized state with diplomatic ties, confirming that the French presence constituted an act of aggression and occupation, further substantiated by the Évian Accords.
Ben Khelouf concluded by emphasizing that demanding justice and historical redress does not equate to hostility towards the French people.
