The Testimony of Redouane Foufa Concerning the Persecution of the Algerian Government

“Peace and blessings be upon you,

My name is Redouane Foufa, son of Mohammed and Douibi Yamina.

I was born 16/6/1969, in Bologhine.

I believed in this blessed Call, the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, in 2013, and I have been a follower of it since 2013 until today. And now we have gathered in Béjaïa to practice our religion amongst our brothers and sisters, since the beginning of February 2022.

I will now continue and clarify some of the things that happened to us after we had gathered in this house, and all of you were present here and have joined since the beginning.

Firstly, we began living here in 2022, in February. We settled and prepared the house, and we are about 30 individuals living in this house, including children. We take care of our needs and live in a brotherly and loving atmosphere, and we were happy.

On the 2nd of April 2022, we were surprised to find out that we had been summoned by the National Gendarmerie, in the municipality of Oued Ghir, in order that they interrogate me. 

So I went there, and the reason for my interrogation was my belief in The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, (they asked) what is the religion I believe in and why did I disbelieve in the religion of Islam?

And I had clarified to them that the religion of Islam is the religion which our fathers and grandfathers were upon, and we had been looking for our religion, the true religion, the religion of Muhammad (PBUH & His Family), and we have found it in Abdullah Hashem, who came and clarified many things to us. 

This is one, on the other hand, I personally witnessed attacks from the security men in regards to us following this religion, and it was offensive and insulting towards us, the way they were interrogating us and all of us lived this situation, correct? (Redouane asks the believers around him, who assent to his words.) Most of us got insulted and it was from the side of the security, and after that the interrogation started at 8 am and it lasted until 4 in the morning for women, men and children in that way, right? (The believers around him testify to it.) This is what happened to us and after that they brought forth a paper from the public prosecutor from the city of Béjaïa, to inspect and break into the house.

So the house was broken into by 20 members of the National Gendarmerie and they inspected our houses…And they searched our homes…

That’s what happened.

They searched our homes, they even tore up our bags and suitcases.

They tore up all the bags and suitcases. And they held back all passports, personal identification cards, family records, and all computers and mobile phones.

They had no regard for the privacy of the homes nor for the women.

They had no regard to anything.

They took everything with them.

And since that day, since they left, we have been summoned several times and we would ask what the procedures were. We would get no response.

We were taken by surprise around two months later, when sister Omreya, myself and brother Othman, who is present here and has witnessed that we went down to Béjaïa city, in order to purchase eyeglasses for Othman’s wife.

As we got out of the shop, we found ourselves surrounded by armed security forces, Rapid Deployment Forces.

They took us to the main police station in Béjaïa in front of a court, where we were interrogated about our beliefs.

And even though we clarified to them that there was already an ongoing investigation by national security, they insisted on carrying out an interrogation.

They took us to a location that was unidentifiable, whether it was police, national security, nothing at all to hint that it was a governmental institute or facility.

They interrogated us for over six hours, until they released us later that night.

Then the next day, they summoned all those present here right now.  (Redouane indicates towards the believers in the room with him.)

They called them all to the police station, which is called over here in Algeria “BRI”.

They interrogated us for an entire day, and they were the same questions that had been posed by the national security.

After that, they released us and went to national security to inform them of that.

They said to us that is not supposed to happen.

They said nothing further.

So we asked them to give us back our passports, and if there was a case against us, or if there were any complaints against us.

They said that there was no case nor any complaints against us.

And they informed me personally, as well as several witnesses, that the department’s attorney was not overseeing this.

So we asked them to give us back our documents, our passports and ID cards, and family records. They refused.

We asked for our computer devices to be given back to us, but they refused.

We asked them to give back our mobile phones, they refused.

And we were shocked this week that we were summoned again by the national security,

this time demanding that each person makes ink fingerprints on files,

and we were photographed as criminals would be!

I will say that again- is that correct or not- how I have described it?

– (The believers respond to Redouane, “Yes, it is.”)

They took our photos as if we were criminals, men and women.

The same thing that the police forces did,

They photographed us from all directions, right, front, left side, as well as taking several fingerprints.

After that, they let us go. And two days ago we were shocked to be summoned back again,

and again our fingerprints were taken, as well as our photographs.

And today…It’s the 5th (of June), and they summoned us again, and took us to another facility in the state of Béjaïa.

And they again photographed us the way criminals are photographed.

Photographs. And they took our fingerprints again.

For no reason.

And then they let us go.

And they had promised us that after the procedures were done, that they would give us back all our documents and personal devices.

We went home and I was shocked that we were summoned again, by the end of the day, asking us, asking me personally, to attend.

And when I attended they asked me to go the next day to the court, so that our documents would be given back to us.

So I enquired who would give us back our documents? They said by the court, by the DA.

So now our destiny lies in the hands of such “justice”, and under those abusive actions,

that do not respect the privacy of the families.

As you see here, women. Men and wives and children.

And every single time we are asked to come with the women and children.

And they humiliate us over our religion. They ridicule and insult us.

Especially when it comes to women, (they ask), “Why are you not wearing the hijab?”

This is asked by security forces! National security and Research and Intervention Brigade!

And they ridicule our faith.

This is a testimony, as tomorrow, at 8:30 am, we will be presented before the court.

And our destinies shall be in the hands of that court.

And God-willing, we hope that it will be just and fair.

We would just like to ask, where are our rights of freedom of faith?

To believe what we want to believe, not what they want us to believe,

that is our question.

This is our testimony.” – Redouane Foufa, 6th of June 2021, Algeria