French Colonial Crimes and Genocide against the Algerian People Towards Legal Liability and Restitution

Abstract

During the years of occupation, French colonialism committed crimes against the Algerian people that had severe material and moral repercussions, some of which still exist today. These consequences are adequate to prove France's criminal and civil culpability. As a result, the perpetrators of these crimes deserve to be prosecuted in international criminal courts, and France ought to be obliged to reimburse the Algerian people for their losses, both monetarily and in kind.
This study examines French colonial crimes against the Algerian people and analyses their potential characterization as genocide under international law, with a specific focus on the dimensions of legal liability and restitution. The paper further explores the theoretical and practical pathways to establishing State liability for these historical wrongs, particularly in light of contemporary legal developments, including Algeria’s domestic legislation criminalizing French colonization and demanding accountability.