Algeria | Tebboune signs a presidential decree granting a pardon to 5,539 prisoners

On Saturday, October 31, 2026, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune signed a presidential decree granting a pardon to 5,539 prisoners, in commemoration of the 72nd anniversary of the outbreak of the Algerian War of Independence on November 1, 1954.

The decision was made in accordance with the President’s constitutional powers and following consultation with the High Council of the Judiciary, as part of the tradition of presidential pardons granted on national occasions.

According to the terms of the decree, the pardon applies to individuals with final convictions—whether currently incarcerated or otherwise—whose sentences, or the remaining portion thereof, do not exceed 24 months.

Conversely, the decree excludes several categories of offenders, most notably those convicted of terrorism, treason, espionage, murder, drug trafficking, corruption, money laundering, smuggling, and specific sexual offenses as defined in the decree.

**Significance:** This decision is part of the presidential measures associated with a national anniversary and applies to specific groups, subject to clear legal conditions and exclusions.

Maghreb News