At the end of November MEC requested prayer for four Christians, including three from the same family, who were to appear in court on 25 December in Province of Bouira, in the Kabylie region.
At that court hearing, all charges against the Christian defendants were dismissed.
These Christians had been accused of “inciting a Muslim to change his religion,” an offence under Ordinance 3-6 of 2006, punishable with a prison term of two to five years and a fine of 500,000 to 1 million Algerian Dinars (approx. US$4,350 to US$8,700).
The charges followed accusations made in July 2018 by a woman (aged 40) whose husband (50), the main defendant, had converted to Christianity. She and members of her family accused her Christian husband, together with a Christian family that had attempted to mitigate the conflict between the couple, of wanting to convert her to Christianity.
The prosecution has the right to appeal the case within ten days.
Prayer Points
Algerian Christians rejoice in this verdict and are grateful for the support of so many in prayer. They ask for continued prayer that:
- the court verdict would not be appealed
- these four, together with all Christians in Algeria, will know the Lord’s peace, wisdom and guidance in the face of ongoing pressures
- those responsible for the intimidation of Christians would know the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness and new life offered by Jesus
- there would be just laws and greater societal tolerance towards Christians in Algeria