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In February, it was reported that a Christian man named Hamid had been sentenced to five years in prison for sharing a cartoon on Facebook (see more details). On March 22nd, a judge in Oran, Algeria, heard his appeal and upheld the sentence along with a fine of almost $1,000 CAD.

During the appeal hearing, Hamid's lawyer, Farid Khemisti, told the judge that the father of four young children received the heavy sentence because he was a Christian. "I expected, at the worst, six months in prison," Farid said. The sentence is the maximum available for insulting Islam. It has not yet been determined if the sentence will be further appealed. To learn more about the persecution of Christians in Algeria, go to our country report.

Pray for God's wisdom and guidance to be granted to Hamid and his lawyer as they determine the appropriate next steps. Also ask the Lord to give this brother in Christ and his family strength in the days ahead, as well as opportunities to boldly share their faith with others, while awaiting his hopeful release from prison. In the meantime, may judicial officials and fellow prisoners --- especially those who oppose Christianity --- witness the grace and love of God through Hamid's life and come to accept Jesus as their own personal Saviour and Lord.

Current Ministry Project

The Voice of the Martyrs Canada is equipping persecuted Christians in Algeria through the support of a seminary that provides contextually relevant Biblical and theological training.

Project Fund: Equipping the Saints

Country Information

Designation
Persecuted

Population
43,576,691 (July 2021 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Aran-Berber (99), European (<1)

Religions (%)
Muslim (99), Other, Christian and Jewish (<1)

Leader
Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Dec. 2019)

Government type
Presidential republic

Legal system
mix of French civil law and Islamic law

Source: CIA World Factbook

Pray for Algeria

Pray that God will use the current restrictions to draw many more Algerians into a relationship with Christ. Pray for conversions to Jesus among the country’s powerful Islamist leaders.

Pray Algerian believers will respond to pressure with faith and perseverance.

Pray for the nation's young people, who make up a large percentage of the population in general, as well as the majority of Christians. May they not be frustrated or disillusioned but rather strengthened and encouraged in Christ Jesus.

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