Algerian police seize Bibles as 12 Christians are arrested for holding non-Muslim service

Algerian police have arrested 12 Christians after raiding a worship service at a humanitarian shelter near Oran, according to sources familiar with the incident.

The raid took place on September 4 at the House of Refuge in L’Ayaida, about 36 kilometres east of Oran, where the group had gathered for a Christian service. The House of Refuge serves as a shelter and restoration centre for vulnerable women and their families. The premises previously contained a worship hall, but authorities ordered its administrative closure in October 2019.

Christians reportedly continued holding services in a separate apartment within the shelter complex following the closure. Sources said the premises had been under surveillance before special police officers arrived with a search warrant and detained all 12 people present on suspicion of holding an unauthorised non-Muslim religious gathering.

During the operation, police reportedly confiscated Christian literature, including Bibles, as well as the detainees’ mobile phones and identity documents. The 12 Christians were subsequently taken to the Bethioua police station, around 40 kilometres from Oran.

According to sources who were not identified for security reasons, the women were released and instructed to return for questioning the following morning. The men were detained until late at night, with some reportedly held until around 3 a.m. At the time of the report, none of those arrested had been brought before a prosecutor or formally convicted of an offence.

There are concerns among local Christians that the detainees could face charges under Algeria’s Ordinance 06-03, a 2006 law regulating non-Muslim religious worship. The law requires places used for non-Muslim collective worship to receive official authorisation and also contains provisions concerning attempts to persuade Muslims to adopt another religion.

Violations of some provisions can carry prison sentences of between two and five years and fines ranging from 500,000 to 1 million Algerian dinars. Christian groups have long criticised the legislation and its enforcement, arguing that obtaining the required authorisation for places of worship has proved extremely difficult.

Open Doors has reported that nearly all 47 churches officially affiliated with the Protestant Church of Algeria, known as the EPA, have received administrative closure orders or have been sealed by authorities. The organisation also says more than 50 Christians have faced prosecution over their religious activities in recent years. The September raid follows several previous cases involving Christian leaders and institutions in Algeria.

In 2021, Pastor Rachid Seighir and Nouh Hamimi were convicted in a case involving their Christian bookstore, which authorities also ordered closed. Hamid Soudad was imprisoned in 2021 after being convicted of “insulting Islam” over material posted on Facebook. He was later pardoned in 2023.

EPA Vice-President Youcef Ourahmane was also sentenced on appeal in May 2024 to one year in prison in a case linked to the organisation of a Christian spiritual retreat. His original sentence had been two years in prison and a fine. Ourahmane is the founder of the Timothee School and the L’Ayaida refuge centre where the latest arrests reportedly occurred.

Christian sources have also alleged that authorities have recently approached religious leaders outside the EPA as part of efforts to establish a new Christian association that could replace the existing Protestant organisation. According to those sources, representatives have approached congregations in areas including Béjaïa, Tizi Ouzou and Bouira about joining the proposed organisation.

They believe the initiative could lead to some churches being allowed to reopen under new conditions imposed by the government. The source material does not include a response from Algerian authorities to those allegations.

Open Doors estimates that Algeria has about 150,000 Christians, representing roughly 0.3 percent of the country’s population, including an estimated 8,000 Catholics. Other Christian denominations include Methodists, Anglicans and Mennonites, some of whose members are foreign residents.

The Christian advocacy organisation ranked Algeria 20th on its 2026 World Watch List of 50 countries where it says Christians face the most severe persecution.