A courtroom in Algeria final week upheld a one-year jail sentence for a high church chief baselessly convicted of “illegal worshiping,” based on a authorized advocacy group.
The Courtroom of Enchantment in Tizi Ouzou issued the decision in opposition to Pastor Youssef Ourahamane of Emmanuel Church in Algeria, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Worldwide mentioned in a press assertion. Pastor Ourahamane has lengthy been a high chief within the Église Protestante d’Algérie (Protestant Church of Algeria, or EPA) affiliation, which has seen 43 of its church buildings forcibly closed by authorities since 2019, with just one remaining open.
“No one should be punished, let alone face prison, for exercising their right to religious freedom,” mentioned Kelsey Zorzi, director of advocacy for World Spiritual Freedom for ADF Worldwide, which is coordinating with different non-governmental organizations to help the pastor. “The decision of the Appellate Court to uphold Pastor Youssef’s conviction and sentence amounts to a blatant violation of his rights under both Algerian and international law and must be condemned.”
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Pastor Ourahamane, a convert from Islam, was sentenced on July 2 to 2 years in jail and a advantageous of 100,000 Algerian dinars (US$738) for main his church, although prosecutors supplied no proof of a criminal offense, based on ADF Worldwide. His sentence was decreased to 1 yr final November.
After Pastor Ourahamane appealed the conviction a second time to the Appellate Courtroom in Tizi Ouzo, the choose final week upheld it and added a six-month suspended jail sentence to his one-year time period, along with the advantageous.
Zorzi of ADF Worldwide expressed hope that the Supreme Courtroom of Algeria would hear the case and acquit Pastor Ourahamane so he can resume duties as pastor.
“The international community must continue to advocate for the rights of all Algerians to freely live out their faith and worship in community without fear of persecution,” she mentioned.
Safety police in Algeria on orders from the Ministry of Inside have systematically focused church buildings for greater than 5 years, citing “health and safety” to justify locking church doorways and declaring worship to be unlawful.
“In one case, they physically beat a pastor in front of his young child because he was peacefully protesting against the closure of his church,” ADF Worldwide acknowledged.
Authorities have focused Pastor Ourahamane with fabricated authorized fees since 2008, based on ADF Worldwide. He asserts he’s simply the newest of fifty Christians to be convicted not too long ago beneath fees of unlawful worship, “shaking the faith” of Muslims or “embezzling” tithes. He and others imagine the convictions are a response to authorities concern over massive numbers of Muslims changing to Christianity.
“In the 1970s, the government gave out licenses to churches which were largely full of expats,” Pastor Ourahamane mentioned. “Today the government is concerned that our churches are almost entirely filled with large numbers of Algerian converts, and they therefore want to suppress the spread of the Gospel among us.”
Pastor Ourahamane appealed his conviction on March 26, his thirty sixth marriage ceremony anniversary. One other pastor and 4 elders from his church on March 27 additionally appealed their three-year jail sentences and fines of 200,000 Algerian dinars (US$1,475).
Pastor Ourahamane has been main congregations in Algeria for greater than 30 years.
About 99% of Algeria’s 43 million folks determine as Sunni Muslim. Islam is the official state faith, however Algeria’s structure acknowledges the suitable of all to worship and communicate freely. The Algerian authorities limits non secular freedom and expression via the enforcement of legal guidelines, together with blasphemy and anti-proselytism statutes that deliberately goal Christians and different non secular minorities, based on ADF Worldwide.
Algeria criminalizes blasphemy, with punishments together with imprisonment for as much as 5 years and fines. The Legal Code additionally censors publications by prohibiting content material that’s “contrary to Islamic morals.”
“In particular, the government has systematically cracked down on the Evangelical Protestant Church through church closures and raids,” ADF Worldwide acknowledged.
Algeria is a signatory to main human rights treaties, committing it to uphold the rights to freedom of faith and expression. The U.S. Fee on Worldwide Spiritual Freedom in its 2024 Annual Report beneficial Algeria be included on the State Division’s “Special Watch List” for partaking in or tolerating extreme violations of non secular freedom.
Initially printed at Christian Every day Worldwide
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“Well bless their hearts.”
