Algeria: Authorities close 58 churches

Christians are being persecuted by authorities in Algeria, with 58 churches having been closed down by the government since 2018, leaving only one open.

In a video at the UK parliament with ADF International, Pastor Youseff shed light on this growing persecution. The pastor, who has previously been sentenced to prison twice since 2008, revealed that there have been almost 60 prison sentences handed to Christians in the country, mostly ranging from two months to five years.

Only a tiny proportion of Algeria’s population of 46 million are Christians, but a Release International partner told en that the main driver of persecution towards the church in the nation is its unprecedented growth over the last 20 years.