Algerian Christians rejoice in the release of Hamid Soudad, a believer from a Muslim background, previously convicted of blasphemy, who received a presidential pardon on 5 July.
Married with four children (ages 8, 6, 5 and 3 years-old), 45-year-old Hamid has been a believer since 2001. In 2018 he shared a caricature of the Prophet of Islam in one of his social media accounts.
On 20 January 2021 Hamid was summoned by police for investigation, accused of insulting the Prophet of Islam. Tried the next day, he was given the maximum punishment – five years in prison. An appeal court confirmed the sentence in March 2021.
Hamid was one of more than 8,500 who were released or had their sentence decreased as part of Algerian independence day celebrations.
Prayer Points
Algerian Christians ask us to pray:
- giving thanks to the Lord for Hamid’s release and his return to his family
- that he will recover from the ordeal and can soon return to ordinary life
- that Hamid will not suffer further consequences and societal pressure because of his “blasphemy”
- for more tolerance toward Christians, and the church in Algeria that has been suffering considerably in the last few years
