Algerian Police Detain 12 Christians After Raid on Shelter Worship Service Near Oran

Algerian police detained 12 Christians after entering a worship service at a humanitarian shelter near Oran, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. The operation occurred on September 4 at the House of Refuge in LAyaida, roughly 36 kilometers east of Oran, where the group had assembled for a Christian service. The House of Refuge acts as a shelter and restoration center for vulnerable women and their families. It once housed a worship hall, but officials ordered that hall closed administratively in October 2019. After that closure, Christians reportedly kept meeting in a separate apartment inside the shelter complex. Sources said the site had been watched before special police units arrived with a search warrant and took all 12 people present into custody on suspicion of participating in an unapproved non-Muslim religious gathering. During the raid, police reportedly seized Christian literature, including Bibles, along with the detainees' cellphones and identity papers. The 12 Christians were then taken to the Bethioua police station, about 40 kilometers from Oran. Sources, who were not named because of security concerns, said the women were freed and told to come back for questioning the next morning. The men remained in custody until late at night, with some reportedly held until about 3 a.m. At the time of the report, none of those arrested had appeared before a prosecutor or been formally convicted of any offense. Local Christians worry that the detainees may be charged under Algeria's Ordinance 06-03, a 2006 measure governing non-Muslim religious worship. The law requires official authorization for locations used for collective non-Muslim worship and includes provisions about efforts to persuade Muslims to convert to another faith. Breaking certain provisions can result in prison terms of two to five years and fines between 500,000 and 1 million Algerian dinars. Christian organizations have repeatedly criticized the legislation and how it is enforced, saying that securing the necessary authorization for places of worship has been very hard. Open Doors has reported that almost all 47 churches formally tied to the Protestant Church of Algeria, or EPA, have been ordered closed administratively or sealed by authorities. The group also says more than 50 Christians have been prosecuted in recent years over their religious activities. The September raid came after other cases involving Christian leaders and institutions in Algeria. In 2021, Pastor Rachid Seighir and Nouh Hamimi were convicted in a matter involving their Christian bookstore, which authorities also ordered shut. Hamid Soudad was jailed in 2021 after being convicted of insulting Islam over content posted on Facebook. He received a pardon in 2023. EPA Vice-President Youcef Ourahmane was also given a one-year prison sentence on appeal in May 2024 in a case connected to the arrangement of a Christian spiritual retreat. His earlier sentence had been two years in prison plus a fine. Ourahmane founded the Timothee School and the LAyaida refuge center where the recent arrests reportedly took place. Christian sources have further alleged that authorities have recently contacted religious leaders outside the EPA as part of an effort to create a new Christian association that could take the place of the existing Protestant body. Those sources said representatives approached congregations in locations such as Bjaa, Tizi Ouzou and Bouira about joining the proposed organization. They think the effort might allow some churches to reopen under new government conditions. The source material did not include any response from Algerian authorities to those allegations. Open Doors estimates that Algeria has approximately 150,000 Christians, about 0.3 percent of the population, including an estimated 8,000 Catholics. Other Christian denominations include Methodists, Anglicans and Mennonites, with some members being foreign residents. The Christian advocacy organization placed Algeria 20th on its 2026 World Watch List of 50 countries where it says Christians experience the most severe persecution.