ALGIERS – A proposed law criminalizing colonialism in Algeria is progressing steadily, reflecting a long-standing political will to address historical injustices within a proper legal framework, according to Parliamentarian Kamal Benkhelouf.
Benkhelouf stated that the parliamentary committee tasked with drafting the law consulted historians, experts, state institutions, including the Ministry of Veterans and the Memory Committee, and international law specialists. These consultations led to a carefully considered draft, which was submitted to the parliament’s bureau and then to the government before being passed to the National Defense Committee for review and approval.
The proposed law is distinguished by its unique nature, being both a national law and one grounded in international law and agreements, Benkhelouf explained. He emphasized that the crimes committed during French colonialism transcend national boundaries and take on an international character. Aggression, he asserted, forms the legal basis for all crimes committed and constitutes a fully realized crime under international law.
According to Benkhelouf, French colonialism involved grave crimes 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 obligate France to acknowledge, apologize, and provide reparations, principles enshrined in international law.
Addressing the issue of historical memory, Benkhelouf challenged French claims of ‘spreading civilization,’ citing the preserved skulls of Algerian resistance fighters in the Museum of Man in Paris as evidence of the brutality of colonial practices. He further noted that Algeria existed as a state with diplomatic recognition and ambassadors prior to the occupation, confirming that the events constituted documented aggression and occupation, as further evidenced by the Evian Accords.
Benkhelouf concluded by emphasizing that demanding rights does not equate to hostility towards the French people.
