"The Algerian parliament approved a law on Wednesday classifying the ‘aggression’ of France’s colonial rule over the country from 1830 to 1962 as being a ‘major crime’ amid calls for an official apology from Paris. Footage shows members of parliament voting on the bill, which was subsequently endorsed by the President of the National People’s Council Ibrahim Boughali. The amendment to legislation was proposed by a member of the National Defence Committee of the National People’s Council, Fathi Belhaj. Following the chance, article 5 now criminalises acts committed during the colonial period - including 'chemical experiments', 'nuclear explosions', 'kidnappings and enforced disappearances', the 'desecration of the dead' and the 'mutilation' or 'retention of human remains'. Algerian media reported that the law aims to document crimes under French colonial rule, establish the responsibility of the French state for its colonial past in Algeria, and create legal mechanisms to demand recognition and an official apology. It also introduces punitive measures to criminalise the glorification or promotion of colonialism. The move reportedly seeks to frame these responsibilities as a foundation for historical reconciliation and the protection of Algeria’s national memory. "