Algeria’s lower house of parliament is set to debate next week a proposed bill that would criminalise France’s colonial rule of the country between 1830 and 1962, in what would be the first such discussion in a public parliamentary session.

In a statement issued after a meeting chaired by Speaker Ibrahim Boughali, the National People’s Assembly said the debate would take place on December 21 and would include the presentation of the bill, a preliminary report and interventions by parliamentary group leaders.