[Today's Prayer] 12 Christians Arrested During Worship in Algeria… Accused of Holding an “Unauthorized Religious Gathering”

Algerian special forces police raided a humanitarian shelter near Oran on the 4th (local time) and detained 12 Christians who were worshiping. They are reportedly at risk of being charged with holding an unauthorized non-Muslim religious gathering.

According to Morning Star News, police raided the shelter in L’Ayaida, about 36 km east of Oran, on September 4. The facility has been used as a shelter and recovery center for vulnerable women and families. It was originally used as a place of worship, but after authorities ordered its administrative closure in October 2019, Christians reportedly continued worshiping in a separate area within the facility.

After presenting a search warrant, police transferred the 12 people at the scene to the Bethioua police station, about 40 km from Oran. During the process, Christian books, mobile phones, identification cards, and other items were confiscated. The women were released the following day for questioning, while the men were reportedly detained until late at night, with some held until 3 a.m.

Christians are concerned that they may be prosecuted under Ordinance 06-03 of 2006, which regulates non-Muslim religious activities in Algeria. The ordinance requires collective worship by non-Muslim religions to take place in designated religious facilities and requires government approval for the use of such facilities. Related organizations have pointed out that applications for permits from non-Muslim churches have remained unprocessed for long periods.

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Administrative pressure on Protestant churches in Algeria has continued for years.

According to Open Doors, all 47 churches belonging to the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA) are currently inactive, while authorities have issued church closure orders or sealed places of worship. Open Doors stated that “more than 50 Christians have been involved in legal proceedings related to their faith in recent years.”

Criminal prosecutions against Christians have also occurred in Algeria in the past. Pastor Youcef Ourahmane, vice president of the EPA, was sentenced in an appeals court in 2024 to one year in prison and a fine of 100,000 dinars (approximately 1.02 million Korean won) in connection with unauthorized religious gatherings and worship.

Christian Hamid Soudad was also arrested in January 2021 and sentenced to five years in prison for sharing a cartoon depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad on Facebook in 2018. He was released in July 2023 after receiving a presidential pardon. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention determined that Soudad’s detention was discriminatory detention on the basis of religion.

Recently, claims have also emerged in some parts of Algeria that authorities are attempting to establish a new Christian organization in order to “resolve the church issue.”

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Source: Christian Today

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

Heavenly Father, we hear the heartbreaking news that 12 Christians who were worshiping at a shelter in Algeria were investigated on suspicion of holding a non-Muslim religious gathering without government authorization, and that pressure from the government against local churches has continued for many years.

In a situation where Christians are prevented from worshiping by laws regulating non-Muslim religious activities and are required to receive government approval in order to worship, please protect the Christians of Algeria. May they overwhelmingly overcome through the compelling love of Christ and become Algerian Christians who worship with all their lives even in the midst of persecution.

Lord, judge the Algerian government, which has imposed administrative pressure for years to prevent local churches from worshiping. May every evil law that closes the doors of churches, places of worship, be brought to nothing before the authority of Christ’s cross.

As the global Church hears about the persecution that has continued against the churches in Algeria for many years, cause the worldwide Church to pray together. May the doors of the 47 Algerian churches that were closed due to government pressure be opened, and may we partner with and serve the Algerian Church so that it will no longer live for itself but proclaim the compelling love of Jesus to every soul in Algeria and throughout the Maghreb.

Therefore, even when severe suffering and persecution come, may Algeria never abandon its faith in You, but boldly become a nation that testifies of Jesus Christ to all the nations!