The Executioner’s Office in Algeria and Tunisia (1842–1962)

As a legacy of the French Revolution, the guillotine was widely used in Algeria (to a lesser extent in Tunisia) not only to execute the so-called common criminals but also to curb the rise of nationalists. Although often relegated to the sidelines, the executioner held a central position in these highly ritualised performances.

• We focus on the fact that the use of the guillotine in the colonies was a showcase for the rule of law, masking a discriminatory reality. In this context, the figure of the executioner embodies colonial violence in a legally codified but deeply irrational form.

• It will be shown how the executioner’s profession in the colonial context was not within everyone’s reach. Although feared and controversial, performing this job required specific skills. The documentation kept at the National Archives of France sheds light on this subject.

• We demonstrate how these executing agents, acting in the name of the “great feats” of justice, found themselves directly involved in the repressive dynamics of the anti-colonial struggle.

Context

Nowadays, the profession of executioner is still relevant. The death penalty is still widely carried out in some countries. Concerning Algeria and Tunisia, once they gained independence the new rulers kept their own executioners on duty. They simply replaced French executioners with “local” ones. Today, executions in both countries rarely occur, but the abolition of the death penalty is not in prospect.

English version: The Executioner’s Office in Algeria and Tunisia (1842–1962)

French version: L’office de bourreau en Algérie et en Tunisie (1842–1962)

Arabic version: وظيفة الجلّاد (منفذ حكم الإعدام) في الجزائر وتونس (1842-1962)