Algerian Pastor Youssef Ourahmane, arrested and sentenced for leading worship services in his home country, recently shared his experience, highlighting the ongoing repression of religious minorities in Algeria.
At an event hosted by the legal group ADF International, Youssef, a Christian convert and leader in the Protestant Church of Algeria, advocated for religious freedom and the reopening of Evangelical churches forcibly closed by Algerian authorities.
He recounted his arrest and conviction for the so-called crime of “illegal worship.”
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“We have had a lot of opposition,” he told the audience. “By 2019, most of the Evangelical churches in our country had been shut down. When the churches were closed, a lot of the Christians felt that something was gone in their Christian faith because the building had been part of their identity.”
Born into a Muslim family, Youssef converted to Christianity as a student and has been leading congregations for over 30 years. Despite legal challenges and personal risk, he remains steadfast in his faith.
When asked why he is willing to face imprisonment, he responded, “God knows the number of my hairs on my head, and none fall without His will. We have to accept God’s will, and God’s sovereignty. I try my best, by His grace, to be a good testimony to others.”
On July 2, 2023, Pastor Youssef was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 100,000 Algerian dinars ($750) for leading the Emmanuel Church in Algeria. Although his prison sentence was reduced to one year in November 2023, the Court of Appeal in Tizi Ouzou upheld his conviction in May and added an additional six months of suspended prison time.
“Despite their small numbers, Algeria has systematically been working to prevent the Evangelical community from being able to simply worship together,” said Kelsey Zorzi, director of advocacy for global religious freedom for ADF International, during the event. “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 International says it’s collaborating with other non-governmental organizations to support Youssef, aiming to raise his case with government officials from over 40 countries. “The United States and the international community must take a strong stand against the unlawful church closures and unjustified arrests and imprisonments of pastors,” Zorzi said.
Algeria, a nation where 99% of the nearly 43 million population identify as Sunni Muslim, has seen increased restrictions on religious minorities. 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.
Since 2019, authorities have forcibly closed 43 churches affiliated with the Église Protestante d’Algérie (EPA), leaving only one open, according to ADF International. 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 International reported.
Youssef has also faced baseless criminal prosecutions since 2008 for his peaceful Christian activities. He is among 50 Christians convicted under vague offenses such as “shaking the faith” of Muslims, illegal worship or embezzling tithing donations.
“In the 1970s, the government gave out licenses to churches which were largely full of expats,” Youssef explained at the event. “Today, the government is concerned that our churches are almost entirely filled with large numbers of Algerian converts.”
The crackdown has also affected small house congregations.
According to 21 Wilberforce, “The government mandates they can only have 10 people per gathering, forcing many house churches to operate underground. Church leaders who continue to hold services in Algeria are threatened, and several have been arrested and prosecuted by the government.”
Open Doors International reported that only four out of 47 churches under the Evangelical Protestant Church of Algeria remained open at the end of 2023.
“Christianity’s long history in Algeria is threatened,” stated 21 Wilberforce. “As the government closes churches and slows down the registration process for religious groups, Algerian Christians are finding life increasingly difficult.”
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has recommended that Algeria be included on the U.S. Department of State’s “Special Watch List” for severe violations of religious freedom. In its 2024 Annual Report, USCIRF highlighted the escalating repression of religious minorities in Algeria.
Violations of the rights of religious minorities contravene both international and domestic law, according to ADF International.
