US report decries Algeria’s persecution of Christians

Christian churches have been forced to close in Algeria amid a crackdown on religious freedom and a persecution of Christians across the country, said the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.

In a recent report, the Commission recommended the US to put Algeria on a Special Watch List in view of the violations of religious freedoms in the country.

It also called on the US government to “condition financial and technical support to the Algerian government on addressing violations of religious freedom.”

“In 2023, the Algerian government brought religiously grounded blasphemy and proselytization charges against several individuals, including Christians, Muslims, and freethinkers,” the report said.

The report also warned of the surge of antisemitic tropes in Algerian state-media, noting that “with no operational synagogue left in Algeria, ritual observance for the roughly 200 practicing members of its Jewish community remains a challenge.”