Algeria. Another Church Closed by the Authorities

Christians in Algeria request prayer after the closure of yet another church, in the Kabylie province of Bejaia. The church was sealed by authorities on 16 October. Police officers acted upon a closure order issued by the head of the province.

The congregation is in Azaghar, a village near Akbou, about 180 km south-east of Algiers. It has about 300 members and has been active for more than five years. It is a member of the EPA (Église Protestante d’Algérie), the legally recognised umbrella of Protestant churches in Algeria.

Since November 2017 most EPA-affiliated churches have been visited by so-called “building-safety committees.” These committees have not only inspected buildings’ suitability to host meetings, but have also been asking about licenses required by a 2006 ordinance regulating non-Muslim worship. However, the government has yet to issue any licence for a church building under this regulation.

Several churches have since received written orders to cease all activities. A number were closed by authorities because they did not have a license, most recently in July 2018. Three of those closed churches have since been allowed to re-open.

The congregation in Azaghar was visited by a “committee” in December 2017. In February 2018 the church received a letter, citing non compliance with safety regulations (lack of emergency exits and fire extinguishers). The church fixed these issues .

However, the letter also  mentioned violations of regulations regarding foreign visitors and that the permitted use of the building was for poultry production. The church was ordered to close within two weeks.