Kabylie church, affiliated to the Protestant Church of Algeria, received a letter from the district authorities last week requiring them to cease all religious activities on the grounds of breaching a 2006 decree regulating non-Muslim worship. The authorities threatened to commence legal proceedings against the pastor if Christian worship continues in the church building. The letter provides no further detail about the alleged infringement nor any time-frame within which steps should be taken to ensure compliance with the law. This situation reflects a long-standing legal difficulty faced by churches in Algeria. The 2006 decree stipulates that permission must be obtained before using a building for non-Muslim worship and that such worship can only be conducted in buildings specifically designated for that purpose. In practice, the authorities have failed to respond to almost all applications by churches for places of worship.