Algeria bans Muslims from learning about Christianity
What has happened since
UN rapporteur reported church closures in 2023
UN special rapporteur Clément Nyaletsossi Voule said after visiting Algeria in 2023 that he had learned of closures affecting 43 churches belonging to the Protestant Church of Algeria since 2018. The denomination had 47 churches in total, according to the figures in his preliminary remarks, published by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.[1]
Advocacy group reported a raid near Oran
Middle East Concern, a Christian religious-freedom advocacy organisation, reported that a special police force raided a humanitarian institute on September 4, 2026. Christians had been meeting at the institute, about 25 kilometres east of Oran, the organisation said. The account has not been independently verified against a police or court account.[2]
Commission reaffirmed worship rights subject to law
The European Centre for Law and Justice reported that Algeria's National Commission for Non-Muslim Worship met on October 13, 2026, and reaffirmed that non-Muslims could worship subject to the law. According to the organisation, the commission also cautioned against misleading or unverified information concerning religious practice in Algeria.[3]
Timeline
- 2023 Following his Algeria visit, UN rapporteur Clément Nyaletsossi Voule reported learning of church closures dating from 2018.[1]
- 2026-09-04 A police raid took place at an institute near Oran where Christians had met, according to Middle East Concern.[2]
- 2026-10-13 The non-Muslim worship commission reaffirmed worship rights within the law, according to the European Centre for Law and Justice.[3]
Sources
- Preliminary Remarks by Mr. Clément Nyaletsossi Voule — Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
- Algeria: Christians in West Algeria Detained and Facing Charges — Middle East Concern, 2026-09-21
- Algeria: Two Police Raids on Christian Communities in One Month — European Centre for Law and Justice
The original report
ArabicNews.com, March 21, 2006
The Algerian parliament has approved a law banning the call to embrace other religions than Islam.
This law states to jail anyone "trying to call on a Muslim to embrace another religion," in remarks to the Christianizing (evangelize) campaigns taking place in the country.
The Algerian Ummah council (Senate) approved this decision on Monday. This decision which was approved by the national people's council ( parliament) on March 15th is an attempt to withstand the Christianizing campaign which had witnessed a notable activity recently especially in al-Qabayel area east of the country.
The ratified law stated to sentence imprisonment for two to five years and a fee between 5 to 10 thousands EURO against "anyone urging or forcing or tempting, to convert a Muslim to another religion."
The same penalty applies to every person, manufacturer, store or circulate publications or audo-visual or other means aiming at destabilizing attachment to Islam.
The law also bans practicing any religion "except Islam" "outside buildings allocated for that, and links specialized buildings aimed at practice of religion by a prior licensing."
One official at the ministry of religious affairs said that the aim of the law is basically to "ban religious activity, and secret religious campaigns."
The Christian community constitutes the largest religious minority in the country. This community accounts for the time being to less than 11,000 after it was hundreds of thousands before Algeria's independence in 1962 including 110 priests and 170 monks distributed all over Algerian lands.