Special forces police in Algeria raided a worship service at a humanitarian shelter on Sept. 4, arresting all 12 Christians present on suspicion of holding an unauthorized, non-Muslim religious service. The House of Refuge shelter in L’Ayaida, 36 kilometers (22 miles) east of Oran, serves as a haven and restoration center for vulnerable women and their families.
It housed a worship hall before authorities ordered its administrative closure in October 2019, but Christians have continued to meet for church services in one of the separate apartments on the shelter premises. After law enforcement officers raided the site with a search warrant, the 12 detained Christians were transferred to the Bethioua police station about 40 kilometers from Oran.
During the operation, police seized all Christian literature, mobile phones and identity cards of those present, said the sources, unidentified for security reasons. The women were released to be questioned the following morning, while the men were held until late at night, some until 3 a.m.
Christians fear the detainees could be charged under Ordinance 06-03 governing non-Muslim worship in Algeria, which heavily criminalizes collective worship outside the officially approved state framework or any action deemed to “shake the faith of a Muslim.” The restrictive law exposes them to heavy fines and substantial prison sentences. Punishment under the 2006 law can range from two to five years in prison and fines of 500,000 to 1 million Algerian dinars ($3,745 to $7,490).
It requires non-Muslim worship buildings to be licensed, but all applications to do so have remained unattended. The arrested Christians were not yet brought before a prosecutor, who would then quickly take them to court for judgment. Christian support group Open Doors has reported that nearly all of the 47 official churches affiliated with the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA) have received