In Algeria 3 churches closed and a pastor arrested, repression continues

Da David Sabbatini - August 17, 2021

On June 4th a Algerian court ordered the closure of 3 new churches in the north of the country: 2 to Oran and a third a El Ayida, 35 kilometers east of Oran.

June 6 was a parish priest also sentenced at the head of one of these churches: 1 year suspension of the sentence and a fine of about 1.230 euros. The 2 Christians will appeal to the high court.

The shepherd Rachid Seighir, which also owns a bookshop, has sold Christian books that could "shake the faith of Muslims". A crime punishable by Algerian law. He was sentenced on appeal with his assistant. In February, both were sentenced to 2 years in prison and a fine for proselytizing.

The churches forced to close had already received the same injunction. In July 2020, the authorities asked them to stop the business but failed to comply with the order.

These arbitrary closures are a cause for concern for Algerian Christians. According to the Worldwide Evangelical Alliance, 2017 churches have been closed since November 13. These 3 new closures bring the number to 16.

In December 2020, 3 UN special rapporteurs sounded the alarm. In a letter addressed to the Algerian government, they deplored: “Today 49 places of worship and churches are threatened with closure. This is a campaign that would have serious consequences for the rights of the Protestant Christian minority to freely express and practice their religion ”.

The UN speakers also reminded the government of its obligations in terms of international law. They expressed their concern about "acts of repression and intimidation perpetrated by the authorities of the country against the faithful and leaders of Protestant churches".

The closed churches are mostly of the Protestant Church of Algeria. This religious association has tried several times to register with the authorities. However, according to Algerian law, if the government does not react within the allotted time, these churches are considered to be automatically registered. They are, therefore, in fact in compliance with the law. However, this does not prevent recurrent administrative closures due to various pretexts.