Protestant pastor's prison sentence upheld in Algeria over 'illegal worship' conviction

A court in Algeria last week upheld a one-year prison sentence for a top church leader baselessly convicted of “illegal worshiping,” according to a legal advocacy group.

The Court of Appeal in Tizi Ouzou issued the verdict against Pastor Youssef Ourahamane of Emmanuel Church in Algeria, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International said in a press statement. Pastor Ourahamane has long been a top leader in the Église Protestante d’Algérie (Protestant Church of Algeria, or EPA) association, which has seen 43 of its churches forcibly closed by authorities since 2019, with only one remaining open.

“No one should be punished, let alone face prison, for exercising their right to religious freedom,” said Kelsey Zorzi, director of advocacy for Global Religious Freedom for ADF International, which is coordinating with other non-governmental organizations to support 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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