Algerian special forces raided a Christian worship gathering at a humanitarian shelter on Sept. 4, detaining all 12 people present on suspicion of holding an unauthorized non-Muslim religious service.
The House of Refuge in L’Ayaida serves vulnerable women and their families, and although authorities closed its worship hall in October 2019, Christians continued meeting in a separate apartment on the property. Police entered the site and transferred the 12 detained Christians to the Bethioua police station.
Sources said the premises had been under surveillance before police seized Christian literature, phones and ID cards during the raid. The women were released for questioning the next morning, while the men were held until late at night, some until 3 a.m.
Christians fear the detainees could face charges under Ordinance 06-03, Algeria’s law regulating non-Muslim worship. The measure restricts collective worship outside officially approved structures and penalizes conduct deemed to “shake the faith of a Muslim.”
Violations can carry prison terms of two to five years and fines ranging from 500,000 to 1 million Algerian dinars, or about $3,745 to $7,490. The law requires non-Muslim places of worship to obtain licenses, though applications have reportedly gone unanswered.
The detained Christians had not yet appeared before a prosecutor, who would determine whether the case proceeds to court.
Open Doors reports that nearly all 47 official churches affiliated with the Protestant Church of Algeria have received closure orders or been sealed by authorities. The group also says more than 50 Christians have faced prosecution over their faith in recent years.
According to Open Doors, Algeria has about 150,000 Christians, or 0.3% of its 48 million people, and ranks 20th on its 2026 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the greatest persecution.
