Prostitution in Algeria is legal but most related activities such as brothel -keeping and solicitation are criminalised. Algeria's Criminal Code prohibits soliciting in a public place, assisting or profiting from the prostitution of others, living with a person engaged in prostitution and procuring for the purpose of prostitution.
During Ottoman rule , prostitution was tolerated and regulated. The women were Moorish , Arab , and sub-Saharan Africans. Jews were not permitted to become prostitutes.
An official called the Mezouar was in charge of regulating prostitution. This official was always a Moor. The position was lucrative as he collected a monthly levy per prostitute. He kept a register of prostitutes and the women were not allowed to leave the brothels and public baths they worked in.
After French colonization in , the French authorities regulated prostitution to try and prevent the spread of STIs. The regulation system was based on the Ottoman regulations that were previously in force, [4] [6] and the Mezouar was retained, although he had to pay an annual fee of 2, francs.
The main articles of the decree read: [5]. In spite of the regulations, there were women who worked on the streets illegally.
