The reported detention of 12 Christians during a prayer gathering near Oran has renewed attention on Algeria’s long-running restrictions on Protestant worship, including in Kabylie, where many churches affiliated with the Protestant Church of Algeria have faced closure orders.
Tamurt reported that the group was detained on September 4 at the House of Refuge site in L’Ayaida, east of Oran. The center is linked to pastor Youcef Ourahmane, a senior figure in the Protestant Church of Algeria. Reporting carried by Christian Daily International and summarized by Faith & World Brief said the worship space had previously been closed by authorities and that participants were questioned after the raid.
The case has not yet been reported as a conviction. The central concern is whether participants could face proceedings under Algeria’s 2006 law regulating non-Muslim worship, which requires authorization for religious spaces outside Islam and has often been criticized by Christian and rights groups as restrictive.
For Kabyle Christians, the episode lands in an already tense environment. Protestant communities in the Kabylie region have repeatedly said that church closures force worshippers into informal spaces, increasing the risk of police intervention and legal uncertainty.
The latest reports suggest that Algeria’s Protestant question remains unresolved despite years of appeals for official recognition, reopened churches and clearer protection for freedom of conscience and worship.