KHR Organisation Addressed a Letter to the Pope Leo XIV
- KHR
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Kabyles for Human Rights
3959 Welsh Road
PA 19090
USA
3.30.2026
Re: The Kabyle Christian community in distress
Your Holiness Pope Leo XIV,
With deep respect and filial devotion, we humbly wish to draw your attention to the dramatic
situation affecting Christian communities in Algeria, especially among the Kabyle people.
In recent years, Algerian authorities have increasingly restricted religious freedom through
laws and practices that target non-Muslim believers. Legal provisions (Article 5&6) prohibit
the conversion of Muslims and broadly punish any act deemed to “undermine” Islamic
faith. These measures have led to prosecutions of Christians for simple expressions of
belief, such as sharing the Gospel or gathering for worship. Tailor-made administrative
regulations have enabled the widespread closure of churches (47 to date), compelling the
believers in Christ to gather secretly in private homes to pray, which put them at risk.
Concrete examples illustrate this repression. In November 2023, a Protestant church
leader was sentenced to imprisonment for conducting an unauthorized service. Others
have faced penalties for distributing Christian literature.
These restrictions appear particularly severe in Kabylia, where many indigenous Christians
live. In that region, religious identity is often viewed with suspicion by the Algerian regime
and linked to regional dynamics, resulting in targeted pressure. Despite this, the Kabyle
Christian community continues to grow, demonstrating steadfast faith amid adversity.
Although freedom of worship is formally recognized, freedom of conscience—the right to
believe, to change one’s religion, or not to believe—is effectively denied through these
tailored laws and their strict enforcement.
Your Holiness, we respectfully entrust this matter to your pastoral concern, hoping that the
voice of the Church may help defend the dignity and advocate for the fundamental rights
of these faithful communities.
In filial obedience and prayer,
Your devoted son in Christ.
Kabyles For Human Rights Organization (KHR)
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