49 people sentenced to death for mob killing of a painter in Algeria

49 people are sentenced to death by an Algerian court for the brutal mob killing of painter, who was suspected of starting devastating wildfires – but had actually come to help fight them, according to defense lawyers.

The massive, high-security trial over the death of artist Djamel Ben Ismail involved over 100 suspects, many of whom were found guilty of some role in his death.

Due to Algeria’s long-standing ban on capital punishment, those who received the death penalty on Thursday are likely to instead receive a life sentence.

Thirty-eight others were sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to twelve years, according to lawyer Hakim Saheb, a member of a collective of volunteer defence lawyers at the trial in the Algiers suburb of Dra El Beida.