An Algerian pastor, who was sentenced last year to prison and heavy fines for the crime of “illegal worship,” is calling for the reopening of evangelical churches in his home country.
Pastor Youssef Ourahmane, a Christian convert and leader in the Protestant Church of Algeria (Église Protestante d’Algérie), shared the story of Algeria’s Christian churches at a Washington, D.C., event hosted by Alliance Defending Freedom International (ADF) last week.
He told the audience that churches in Algeria have had considerable opposition, and that by 2019, most of the evangelical churches had been shut down. “When the churches were closed, a lot of the Christians felt that something was gone in their Christian faith,” he said in an article in The Christian Post.
According to ADF, Ourahmane was sentenced in July 2023 to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 Algerian dinars for his involvement as the leader of his church, though evidence of a crime was never reported. In November 2023, his prison sentence was reduced to one year. In May, the Court of Appeals in Tizi Ouzou upheld his conviction and added an additional six months of suspended prison time to the one-year sentence. Ourahmane has been leading Christian congregations in Algeria for more than 30 years. Born into a Muslim home, he was converted to Christ as a student.
Speaking at the Washington event, Kelsey Zorzi, director of advocacy for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International, said: “Despite their small numbers, Algeria has systematically been working to prevent the evangelical community from being able to simply worship together. Pastor Youssef’s case is one of roughly 50 spurious cases against Christians in the past few years. … His advocacy throughout the years on behalf of the entire evangelical church in Algeria, even in the face of potential imprisonment, is an inspiration.”
ADF stands with persecuted Christians around the world, Zorzi said, and especially those who are under such dire threat as the evangelical community in Algeria. “The United States and the international community must take a strong stand against the unlawful church closures and unjustified arrests and imprisonments of pastors,” he said.
Algeria is a nation of nearly 43 million population, with 99% identifying as Sunni Muslim. Islam is the official state religion, and Christians fall into the 1% of religious minorities. The country has seen increased restrictions on religious minorities, but Algeria’s constitution recognizes the right of all to worship and speak freely. However, the government enforces laws that limit religious freedom and expression, including blasphemy and anti-proselytism statutes targeting Christians and other minorities, according to ADF International.
Governments and the international community have highlighted the ongoing plight of religious minorities in Algeria. The U.S. Department of State has placed Algeria on its “Special Watch List” since 2021 for its severe violations of religious freedom, and USCIRF has advised in its 2024 Annual Report that the country should again be included on the list.
ADF International is coordinating with other NGOs to support Pastor Youssef and his right to worship freely through international advocacy and to raise his case with government officials from over 40 countries
According to ADF, only one of Ourahmane’s 44 churches remain standing. Security police, acting on orders from the Ministry of Interior, have cited alleged “health and safety” code violations to justify locking church doors and declaring worship inside illegal.
“In one case, they physically beat a pastor in front of his young child because he was peacefully protesting the closure of his church,” ADF said.
ADF is seeking the acquittal of the pastor, who is holding strong to his faith.
“God knows the number of my hairs on my head,” Ourahmane said, “and none fall without His will.” He continued, saying, “We have to accept God’s will, and God’s sovereignty … I tried my best, by His grace, to be a good testimony to others.”
Photo courtesy of ADF International