Algerian pastor convicted of “illegal worship” shares his story, advocates for re-opening churches

  • Christian convert and pastor Youssef Ourahmane shared the story of his arrest, conviction, and court appeals for “illegal worship” this week in Washington, DC, and called for the re-opening of evangelical churches in Algeria.   
  • An Algerian appeals court earlier this year upheld Pastor Youssef’s conviction and prison sentence for the so-called crime of “illegal worship” for leading his church.    
  • ADF International is advocating for his acquittal, supporting the legal defence of the persecuted across the globe.  

WASHINGTON, DC (18 October 2024) Pastor Youssef Ourahmane, a Christian convert and pastor in the Protestant Church of Algeria, has been sentenced to heavy fines and a prison sentence for the so-called crime of “illegal worship” for leading his church.  

This week, Pastor Youssef was in Washington, D.C. to share his story and advocate for religious freedom and the re-opening of evangelical churches forcefully closed in Algeria. In an event hosted by ADF International in Washington, D.C., Pastor Youssef appealed to the audience, saying “We have had a lot of opposition… by 2019 most of the Evangelical churches in our country had been shut down. When the churches were closed, a lot of the Christians felt that something was gone in their Christian faith because the building had been part of their identity.” 

When asked about why he is willing to go to prison for his faith, Pastor Youssef responded “God knows the number of my hairs on my head, and none fall without His will.” He continued, saying “We have to accept God’s will, and God’s sovereignty… I try by my best, by His grace, to be a good testimony to others.”  

In May 2024, the Court of Appeal in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria upheld the conviction of “illegal worship” against Pastor Youssef for leading the Emmanuel Church in Algeria. This was his second appeal in the case.  

Pastor Youssef, who was born into a Muslim home but converted as a student to Christianity, was sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 Algerian dinars on 2 July 2023 for his involvement as the leader of his church, although authorities could provide no evidence of a crime. In November 2023, his prison sentence was reduced from 2 years to 1 year. Upholding his conviction in May of this year, the court added an additional 6 months of suspended prison time to his sentence of 1 year imprisonment and fines of 100,000 Algerian dinars.   

Also speaking at the event, Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom for ADF International, said “Despite their small numbers, Algeria has systematically been working to prevent the Evangelical community from being able to simply worship together…. Pastor Youssef’s case is one of roughly 50 spurious cases against Christians in the past few years…. His advocacy throughout the years on behalf of the entire evangelical church in Algeria, even in the face of potential imprisonment, is an inspiration.” 

Zorzi continued, saying “We stand with the persecuted Christians around the world, and especially those who are under such dire threat as the Evangelical community in Algeria. The United States and the international community must take a strong stand against the unlawful church closures and unjustified arrests and imprisonments of pastors.” 

ADF International is coordinating with other NGOs to support Pastor Youssef and his right to worship freely with international advocacy and to raise his case with government officials from over 40 countries.   

Video: remarks from Kelsey Zorzi

Background 

Pastor Youssef Ourahmane, who has been leading Christian congregations in Algeria for over 30 years, appealed his conviction for illegal worshipping in his church on 26th March 2024, the date of his 36th wedding anniversary.   

Pastor Youssef is one of the leading figures in the Èglise Protestante d’Algérie (EPA), the Evangelical Protestant group whose 43 churches have been forcibly closed by the Authorities since 2019, leaving only one with its churches open today. Over the past five years, security police in Algeria, with orders from the Ministry of Interior, systematically alleged that the denominations’ church buildings were in violation of various “health and safety” codes. These alleged building code violations, they claimed, justified putting locks over the doors and declaring worship inside the buildings to be illegal. In one case, they physically beat a Pastor in front of his young child because he was peacefully protesting the closure of his church.   

Pastor Youssef has faced baseless criminal prosecutions for his peaceful Christian activities since 2008. He is only the latest person out of 50 Christians to have been convicted by the Courts over the past few years, under the vague offenses of “shaking the faith” of Muslims, illegal worship, or embezzling of tithing donations. The convictions are thought to be a reaction to the large numbers of local Christian converts in the country. “In the 1970s”, Pastor Youssef said at the event, “the government gave out licenses to churches which were largely full of expats. Today, the government is concerned that our churches are almost entirely filled with large numbers of Algerian converts”.   

On 27 March 2024, a different Pastor and four Elders from the church also appealed their three-year prison sentences and fines of 200,000 Algerian dinars. 

Pictured: Pastor Youssef’s church in Algeria

Religious persecution in Algeria 

Algeria is home to nearly 43 million people, with 99% of the population identifying as Sunni Muslim. Christians fall into the 1% of religious minorities. Islam is the official state religion, but Algeria’s constitution recognizes the right of all to worship and speak freely. The Algerian government limits religious freedom and expression through the enforcement of laws, including egregious blasphemy and anti-proselytism laws, which intentionally target and violate the religious freedom rights of Christians and other religious minorities.    

Algeria’s penal and information codes criminalize blasphemy, with punishments including imprisonment for up to five years and fines. The Criminal Code also censors publications by prohibiting content that is “contrary to Islamic morals”. In particular, the government has systematically cracked down on the Evangelical Protestant Church through church closures and raids.   

Violations of the rights of religious minorities are in violation of both international and domestic law. Algeria is a signatory to major human rights treaties, committing it to upholding the rights to freedom of religion and expression.    

Governments and the international community have highlighted the ongoing plight of religious minorities in Algeria. The U.S. Department of State has placed Algeria on its “Special Watch List” since 2021 for its severe violations of religious freedom, and USCIRF advised in its 2024 Annual Report that the country be once again included on the State Department’s “Special Watch List”. In 2021, several U.S. Senators sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling on him to address the increased persecution of religious minorities in Algeria.   

In addition to Pastor Youssef, ADF International also advocated for the release of Hamid Soudad, a Christian-convert in the Evangelical Church of Algeria, who was finally released from prison following a five-year ordeal. In January 2021, Soudad was arrested, convicted, and sentenced in an expedited trial to five years in prison for allegedly insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad in 2018. He was finally released from prison in 2023 following advocacy from religious freedom leaders from across the globe, including ADF International.    

Pictured: Pastor Youssef

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Why Nigeria is the Most Dangerous Country in the World for Christians

Sean Nelson talks with Rhoda Jatau who faces persecution as a Christian in Nigeria.

Sharia law in the north, blasphemy laws, and the ongoing threat from Boko Haram enable the rampant persecution of Christians

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Sean Nelson

Legal Counsel for Global Religious Freedom with ADF International

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UPDATE 19 December 2024: Following a two-and-a-half-year legal ordeal, a judge in Bauchi State, Nigeria, acquitted Rhoda Jatau of “blasphemy” charges. If convicted, Rhoda faced up to five years in prison. She spent 19 months in prison before being released on bail for allegedly sharing a blasphemous video that condemned the lynching of Christian college student Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu.

Sean Nelson talks with Rhoda Jatau who faces persecution as a Christian in Nigeria.

The gospels tell us that Christians should expect to be persecuted for their faith. However, many people are surprised when they hear about the large amount of persecution facing Christians around the world today. Over 365 million Christians experienced “high levels of persecution and discrimination” worldwide in 2023.

But one country in particular, Nigeria, is the most dangerous country in the world for Christians. In 2022, roughly 5,000 Christians were murdered for their faith – more than the number killed in all other countries combined. For 2023, one estimate put the number of Christians targeted and killed in Nigeria at over 7,000.

The severe Christian persecution in Nigeria, particularly in the northern regions, makes it the most dangerous country in the world for Christians. I recently travelled to Nigeria and saw the effects of persecution firsthand. Let me share them with you:

Countering this Christian Persecution

Thankfully, ADF International works to stop this relentless persecution of Christians in Nigeria. We work with local allied lawyers to oppose the country’s egregious blasphemy laws and get Christians out of Islamic Sharia courts. We help Christian converts escape from violence and threats and protect Christian ministries targeted for their work.

And we work at the highest levels of governments around the world to put pressure on Nigeria to stop persecuting Christians. For example, this includes advocating for Nigeria’s placement on the United States government watchlist of the worst countries in the world for religious freedom violations.

I’ve met with the victims of Christian persecution and religious freedom violations in Nigeria. They have great faith in the face of such hardship. I recently travelled to Nigeria and saw the effects of persecution firsthand.

The Persecution of Christians in Nigeria is Systemic

Because Nigeria is the most dangerous country in the world for Christians, the persecuted face targeted violence and death from terrorist groups like Boko Haram and Muslim Fulani militias. Terrorist groups like these are responsible for thousands of killed Christians every year. Christian villages are burned, and villagers are left with mass graves, many orphaned children, and scars from attacks. I witnessed this destruction with my own eyes when I visited Nigeria.

Pastors and churches are particularly targeted, even on holy days like Christmas and Pentecost.

Northern Nigeria is also one of only seven places in the world where you can get the death penalty for alleged blasphemy. Northern Nigeria’s blasphemy laws are contained in its Islamic Sharia law, and they call for death for people who allegedly “insult” Islam. And so, these laws harm both Christians and minority Muslims and lead to horrifying instances of mob violence. Many Nigerian Christians have been killed by these mobs based on blasphemy accusations because they loved Christ.

Even those who condemn this mob violence face blasphemy trials, like Christian mother Rhoda Jatau. She was similarly accused of blasphemy, and a mob ransacked her neighborhood.

Sean Nelson experiencing why Nigeria is the most dangerous country in the world for Christians.

Why Nigeria is the Most Dangerous Country for Christians

Christians in Nigeria, particularly in the northern half of the country, face some of the most difficult circumstances for Christians in the world. Northern Nigeria is majority Muslim and increasing Islamic extremism from terrorist groups like Boko Haram and other militants like Muslim Fulani militias have led to greater Christian persecution. Boko Haram explicitly wants to murder, kidnap, and subjugate Christians in Nigeria.

Christian converts face an especially hard time because their family, friends, and community will often threaten and attack them for converting. I’ve met these converts who fled their homelands for safety.

Churches face discrimination, false accusations, and destruction. In fact, one evangelist named Daniel Kefee was charged with kidnapping for helping a young Christian convert woman find safety. With our support, local allied lawyers were able to free him and win his case.

The Spread of Sharia Law Throughout the North

Islamic Sharia law has also spread throughout the northern Nigerian states, leading to increasing persecution of Christians. Sharia law inspires hostility and mob violence against Christians in Nigeria. And even though Christians are not supposed to be subject to Sharia law, they are regularly hauled before Sharia courts on false accusations. Obtaining lawyers for these Christians in Nigeria is necessary for them to be saved from the application of Sharia law and its courts.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has long recommended that Nigeria be placed on the U.S. government’s watch list of the worst countries in the world for religious freedom. We strongly agree with this recommendation. But the U.S. State Department under the Biden administration removed Nigeria from the government watch list in 2021 without any clear reason.

The decision was outrageous. Certainly, the most dangerous country in the world for Christians should be recognized and designated that way by the U.S. government. These long-suffering Nigerian Christians deserve to have the international community on their side.

Overturning Blasphemy Laws to Remedy Christian Persecution

The blasphemy laws in Nigeria especially contribute to the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities. Here are two examples of which my Global Religious Freedom team works on today:

Yahaya Sharif-Aminu: Sufi Muslim Musician

We’re supporting the case of one young man, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, who is a Sufi Muslim musician charged with blasphemy for sharing song lyrics over WhatsApp. A mob burnt down his home, and he was convicted and sentenced to death in 2020 without a lawyer.

Thankfully, his conviction was overturned, but he was sent back to the Sharia Court to be retried under the same death penalty blasphemy law. We support his appeal to the Supreme Court of Nigeria to overturn the egregious blasphemy law. When I spoke to Yahaya in prison, one of his greatest pains was not being able to see his parents since his arrest.

Rhoda Jatau: Christian Mother Finally Acquitted

Rhoda was put in prison for 19 months during a trial where she was charged with blasphemy for allegedly sending a WhatsApp message condemning mob violence against Christians. She could only occasionally speak with a lawyer and see her family while imprisoned.

Thankfully, with our support and international advocacy, she was released on bail. In December 2024, following a two-and-a-half-year legal ordeal, a judge in Bauchi State, Nigeria, acquitted Rhoda Jatau of “blasphemy” charges. If convicted, Rhoda faced up to five years in prison. I met and spoke with Rhoda, and the anguish of being separated from her family while imprisoned was very difficult. Remarkably, her faith in Christ has been strengthened.

Conclusion: Relieving the Persecution of Christians in Nigeria Requires a Global Effort

Christian persecution won’t stop in Nigeria unless we all take a stand against it. That’s why we raise the alarm over the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. We advocate at the highest levels of government for the recognition of this persecution. We support allied lawyers who take cases to protect these persecuted Christians and end blasphemy laws.

Because of the danger here facing Christians, the persecuted face targeted violence and death from terrorist groups like Boko Haram and Muslim Fulani militias.

Victims living in the most dangerous country in the world for Christians have heartbreaking stories. But their faith is inspiring. So, we should make every effort to stand with them and stop the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

Defence filed in Bible Tweet “hate speech” case headed to Finland’s Supreme Court 

  • Long-serving Parliamentarian and grandmother Päivi Räsänen to stand trial a third time for expressing Christian beliefs on marriage and sexuality on “X” (formerly Twitter) 
       
  • Prosecution calls for tens of thousands in fines and censorship of MP’s Bible-Tweet; ADF International supports Räsänen’s legal defence  

HELSINKI (21 May 2024) – Former government minister and sitting Finnish parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen has submitted her defence to the Finnish Supreme Court ahead standing trial a third time for her Bible-verse tweet. 

The State prosecutor appealed the case despite the Christian grandmother of 12 being acquitted unanimously of “hate speech” charges before both the Helsinki District Court, and the Court of Appeal. The charges are found under the “war crimes and crimes against humanity” section of the Finnish Criminal Code. 

Commenting on the submission of her defence, Räsänen said: 

“The heart of the trial is the question of whether teachings linked to the Bible can be displayed and agreed with. I consider it a privilege and an honour to defend freedom of expression, which is a core right in a democratic state. 

An acquittal by the Supreme Court would serve as a stronger precedent than lower court rulings for subsequent similar charges. It would provide a clearer and stronger safeguard for the freedom of Christians to present the teachings of the Bible – and it would strengthen the principle of freedom of expression in general.” 

The Bible on Trial 

Police investigations against Räsänen started in June 2019. As an active member of the Finnish Lutheran church, she had addressed the leadership of her church on Twitter/X and questioned its official sponsorship of the LGBT event ‘Pride 2019’, accompanied by an image of Bible verses from the New Testament book of Romans.

Following this tweet, further investigations against Räsänen were launched, going back to a church pamphlet Räsänen wrote 20 years ago, based on the text “male and female he created them.” 

“This was not just about my opinions, but about everyone's freedom of expression. I hope that with the ruling of the Supreme Court, others would not have to undergo the same ordeal."

- Päivi Räsänen

Police investigations against Räsänen started in June 2019. As an active member of the Finnish Lutheran church, she had addressed the leadership of her church on Twitter/X and questioned its official sponsorship of the LGBT event ‘Pride 2019’, accompanied by an image of Bible verses from the New Testament book of Romans.  

Following this tweet, further investigations against Räsänen were launched, going back to a church pamphlet Räsänen wrote 20 years ago, based on the text “male and female he created them.” 

Over several months, Räsänen endured a total of thirteen hours of police interrogations about her Christian beliefs – including being frequently asked by the police to explain her understanding of the Bible.    

A “chilling effect” on religious freedom 

Her legal team, backed by ADF International, have submitted to the court that the case should be dismissed and costs to be awarded to Räsänen. 

The defence argue that Räsänen has the right to freedom of expression in international law, and that so-called hate speech laws do not extinguish that right. 

The defence have further highlighted the fact that Räsänen has consistently underlined that all people have dignity and should not be discriminated against – inconsistent with the behaviour of somebody guilty of spreading “hate”. 

The submission from the defence reads: 

“Vague or far-reaching laws against advocacy of hatred, or blasphemy, offence to religious feelings and similar offences are not only arbitrary; they can also lead to the direct and structural marginalization of religious or belief communities.”  

The parliamentarian’s case will again be heard alongside Bishop Juhana Pohjola, who faces charges for publishing Räsänen’s pamphlet two decades ago.   

Their cases have garnered global media attention, as human rights experts voiced concern over the threat posed to free speech in Finland.   

To find out more about the case, and to contribute to Päivi’s legal defence, click here.  

Lorcan Price, Irish Barrister and Legal Counsel for ADF International, supporting Räsänen’s legal defence said:  

“This is a watershed case in the story of Europe’s creeping censorship. In a democratic Western nation in 2024, nobody should be on trial for their faith – yet throughout the prosecution of  Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola, we have seen something akin to a ‘heresy’ trial, where Christians are dragged through court for holding beliefs that differ from the approved orthodoxy of the day.  

The state’s insistence on continuing this prosecution after almost five long years, despite such clear and unanimous rulings from the lower courts is alarming. The process is the punishment in such instances, resulting in a chill on free speech for all citizens observing. ADF International will continue to stand alongside Räsänen and Pohjola every step of the way as they face their next day in court. Their right to speak freely is everyone’s right to speak freely.”  

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