The vicepresident of the Algerian Protestant Church has been convicted of holding an unauthorised religious worship and fined with around 665€.

Amid a complicated diplomatic situation in Algeria, evangelicals call on the EU to “push for increased freedom of religion” in the country.

They were accused of “unauthorized worship”. The court has upheld the sentence of six months in prison but reduced the fine by half.

The entity representing 600 million evangelicals calls on Algeria “to end their persecution of evangelicals, rescind the unjust court sentences, and allow the churches forcibly closed to reopen”.

Government officials have begun proceedings to close another Protestant church. Sixteen churches have been closed in the past four years.

In November, a senior UN official told civil society, “You need to insist, repeat yourself, send letters to the UN, keep reminding us”.

Christians demonstrate in the streets of Tizi-Ouzou with singing and signs: “Stop the abuse of power”.

In a UN Human Rights Council session, evangelicals ask Algeria “to allow re-opening of all churches and revise the ordinance on non-Muslim worship”. The government argues they do not comply with Algerian legislation.

An interview with Salah Chalah, President of the Eglise Protestante d’Algérie. “2020 was a very difficult year for us Protestants, who have been deprived of our places of worship - until today”.

In a written statement to the UN Human Rights Council, the WEA also addresses the deteriorating environment for religious minorities in India and the incitement to violence of anti-conversion laws.

In a letter sent in December, three UN Human Rights Council special rapporteurs asked the government to stop the “intimidation and discriminatory treatment” of Protestants.

A request to reopen places of worship was recently rejected without a justification. The Algerian Protestant Church (EPA) invites Christians worldwide “to join us to pray for Algeria”.

“These closures are a clear hindrance to the free practice and exercise of religion”, the politicians say in a letter to the Algerian President.

The 2006 law requires non-Muslim worship buildings to be licensed, but all applications to do so have remained unattended. “We all know that these laws are only there to muzzle Christians and other religious minorities”.

A letter was delivered to the ambassador “in favour of religious freedom in Algeria and in support of the evangelical churches in that country”.

The closure of at least 12 Protestant church buildings gets international attention. Algerian Christians share their situation in videos posted online. 63,000 have already signed a petition defending religious freedom.

Video of the moment police officers enter a Protestant evangelical church near Tizi-Ouzou to close it. Church members do not stop singing, and peacefully resist later.

Police use force to eject Christians resisting in protest. The closures this week bring to 15 the number of worship buildings sealed since the government launched a campaign againt churches.

Peaceful demonstrations call authorities to “stop closure of worship places”. Churches re-organise themselves in houses as the government threatens to close more buildings.

Algerian Christians think the governmental campaign against Protestant churches will continue. But “the churches of Algeria have a very firm and mature leadership with a clear vision of God”.

The place of worship in the city of Boghni was used by two Protestant communities. Around 380 members are affected.

Algerian authorities have engaged in a systematic campaign to close Christian places of worship and other Christian institutions since November 2017.

“Many more churches are threatened with closure, amid denial of formal registration and recognition by authorities”, the World Evangelical Alliance says in a statement.

Congregation initially refuses to leave. “The assembly finally yielded and agreed to leave the premises, but with much pain”, Pastor Takilt said.

The Algerian Protestant Church “fully shares the aspirations and the legitimate demands of the Algerian people in their peaceful fight for a modern and democratic Republic”.