Monday 29 November 2010

Algerian Christians face jail for opening church

Prosecutors asked a court on Sunday to sentence four Algerian converts to Christianity to one year in jail each for opening a place of worship without permission, their lawyer said.
The verdict was expected on December 12, lawyer Mohamed BenBelkacem said.
"The trial was conducted in good conditions. The prosecutor asked for one year in prison for each of the accused, which is the minimum sentence provided by the law," he said.
The defendants, aged between 35 and 45 years, are accused of opening a Protestant church close to the town of Larbaa Nath Irathen, 150 kilometres (90 miles) east of the capital Algiers, without permission from the authorities.
One of them has also been charged with accommodating without authorisation a French pastor who had travelled to Algeria to address a Christian community, the defence lawyer said.
The practice of religion in Algeria, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, requires authorities to agree to the place of worship and the preacher in terms of a 2006 law.
Over the past months, several trials have opened in the north African country, where Islam is the state religion, for violation of Islamic precepts and notably involving converts to Christianity.
Eight Muslims who were charged with breaking the daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan in August were acquitted earlier this month.
Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia told parliament last month Algeria would "always guarantee" freedom of religion.
There are about 11,000 Christians in Algeria, according to the religious affairs ministry. The Protestant Church says there are 30,000 Protestants alone.
The country is home to 35 million people, nearly all of whom claim to follow Islam.

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