Three churches closed down by authorities in Algeria’s northern province of Oran were told in June they could reopen.
Rachid Seghir, the pastor at the main church of Oran city, said he was called to the police station, so informed church members. At the police station, Pastor Seghir was handed a notification to sign. ‘It was hard to believe, as I was not expecting such a positive surprise!’ said Pastor Seghir, who could barely hide his emotions. ‘Honestly, I have not understood anything that happened: I had read the notification and understood it correctly, but I remained amazed. “Maybe it’s just a trap,” I thought.’
Just 45 minutes after he was first called to the police station, three officers in uniform came and removed the seals from the church’s main door, without making any comment.
