Christians face crackdown in Algeria

by Gerald Butt
Middle East Correspondent
3 June, 2011

THE antagonism felt by minority Christian communities in several Middle Eastern and North African countries appears to have reached Algeria. A Christian convicted of proselytising has been jailed, and an order has been issued for the closure of a number of churches. Algerian Christians report that, over the past few months, they have noticed a sig­ni­ficant tightening of restrictions.

A court in Oran province in the north-west of the country last week sentenced Siagh Krimo to five years in prison for talking to his Muslim neighbour about Christianity and giving him a Christian CD. He is also said to have defamed Islam. Those present at the trial said that no witnesses or evidence was pre­sented.

In a separate development, the Protestant Church in Bejaia province, in northern Algeria, has been told that seven churches will have to close because they are un­authorised places of worship. Last year, four Protest­ants were arrested for “practising religious rites without authoris­ation”. the rest

Nepal Plans New Criminal Code Forbidding Evangelism