U.S. Congress Introduces Resolution Condemning the Persecution of Christians in Muslim-Majority Countries

  • A new congressional resolution brings renewed attention to reports of Christian persecution in many Muslim-majority countries and urges the U.S. government to address religious freedom concerns in its foreign policy.

  • ADF International has supported and endorsed the resolution, calling for stronger international protections for fundamental religious freedom.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, U.S. Congressman Riley Moore (R-WV) and Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced a congressional resolution (H. Res,. 594) condemning the widespread and ongoing persecution of Christians in Muslim-majority countries. The resolution cites numerous human rights violations documented across countries, including Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Syria, Türkiye, Iran, Pakistan, and others. It highlights targeted killings, mass church closures, arbitrary arrests, forced conversions, and the denial of basic religious freedoms.

In Nigeria alone, it notes, more Christians are killed each year than in all other countries combined, most recently during an attack in Benue State that claimed the lives of over 200 believers.

“No one from any religious background should face persecution for their faith. Yet year after year, Christians remain the most persecuted religious group worldwide, especially in many Muslim-majority countries,” said Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Global Religious Freedom at ADF International. “We applaud the resolution for recognizing this grave reality and urging U.S. action. When Christians are being killed, silenced, or driven underground, we cannot look the other way.”

“No one from any religious background should face persecution for their faith. Yet year after year, Christians remain the most persecuted religious group worldwide, especially in many Muslim-majority countries. We applaud the resolution for recognizing this grave reality and urging U.S. action. When Christians are being killed, silenced, or driven underground, we cannot look the other way"

- Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Global Religious Freedom at ADF International

“More than 380 million Christians worldwide suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith,
with many of those Christians facing persecution throughout many Muslim-majority countries;,” the resolution states, referencing Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List.

The resolution followed Moore’s first-ever floor speech in April, which also focused on the global crisis of Christian persecution. It calls on the President to prioritize the protection of persecuted Christians in U.S. foreign policy and to use all available diplomatic tools, including in ongoing trade and national security negotiations with Muslim-majority countries, to press for the advancement of religious freedom and the protection of persecuted Christians. The resolution was co-sponsored by seven other congressmen, including W. Gregory Steube, (R-FL), Michael Guest (R-MS), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Addison McDowell (R-NC), Brandon Gill (R-TX), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), and Pat Harrigan (R-NC).

“The widespread, severe, and systematic persecution of Christians is too often ignored. This resolution is important because it clearly identifies what so many won’t: that Christians are often singled out because of what they believe and who they are,” said Sean Nelson, legal counsel for global religious freedom at ADF International.

Background

Through legal advocacy and global alliances, ADF International works to protect the rights of Christians and other religious minorities facing persecution around the world.

In Nigeria, extremist violence by groups such as Boko Haram and Fulani militants has led to the mass killing, abduction, and displacement of Christians. Cases such as those of Rhoda Jatau and Yahaya Sharif-Aminu reveal the violent persecution and punishments that come under the country’s blasphemy laws. ADF International works alongside allied lawyers to provide legal support, document these human rights violations, and advocate for greater accountability and protection for vulnerable communities.

In Egypt, Christians frequently face mob violence, church closures, and legal discrimination. ADF International monitors and provides legal support against these violations and engages with international bodies to highlight the ongoing threats to religious freedom in the country. Christians in nations such as Pakistan, Iran, and Algeria, face imprisonment, harassment, and legal penalties for practicing their faith. ADF International provides legal support, submits human rights reports to the United Nations, and advocates for international action in defense of persecuted religious minorities.

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Brazilian Supreme Court Urged to Protect Children from Gender Ideology Experiments in Brief Filed by Human Rights Organizations

Brazil censorship

    • Legal brief to Supreme Federal Tribunal supports Brazilian Medical Council’s decision to ban ‘gender transition’ of minors 
    • ADF International, in conjunction with Instituto Isabel, urges the Tribunal to uphold Brazil’s right to shield minors from experimental gender interventions. 
    Brazil censorship

    BRASILIA (JULY 14) – Pending before the supreme court of Brazil is a decision to ban so-called “gender transition” of minors. The case follows an April decision by the Brazilian Federal Council of Medicine, which issued updated ethical and technical standards for managing gender dysphoria for individuals under the age of 21 by banning the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and potentially irreversible surgeries to encourage minors to live as the opposite sex.   

    „Trans-activist” groups challenged the guidelines in court. In response, ADF International and Brazilian organisation Instituto Isabel filed an amicus brief urging the court to uphold the Council’s authority and shield minors from experimental gender interventions. The Supreme Federal Tribunal is expected to decide on the challenge to the new guidelines later this year.

    “No child should be subjected to dangerous experiments that carry permanent, life-altering consequences. We fully endorse the Brazilian Medical Council’s decision to prohibit these so-called treatments and have urged the Supreme Federal Tribunal to uphold the decision in accordance with Brazil’s international human rights obligations to protect children. This is about ensuring that medical practice remains rooted in evidence and ethics, not gender ideology."

    - Tomás Henriquez, Director of Advocacy for Latin America at ADF International

    “No child should be subjected to dangerous experiments that carry permanent, life-altering consequences,” said Tomás Henriquez, Director of Advocacy for Latin America at ADF International. “We fully endorse the Brazilian Medical Council’s decision to prohibit these so-called treatments and have urged the Supreme Federal Tribunal to uphold the decision in accordance with Brazil’s international human rights obligations to protect children. This is about ensuring that medical practice remains rooted in evidence and ethics, not gender ideology.” 

    ADF International’s legal brief argues that the Medical Council’s resolution addresses pressing public health concerns and is supported by international law. It references the long-lasting harms of so-called “transgender” medical interventions for minors, calling on Brazil to ensure the right to health of children by prohibiting access to experimental interventions. 

    The brief cites recent court decisions, including a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Skrmetti, which confirmed that U.S. states can set limits on gender-related medical procedures for minors. It urges the Supreme Federal Tribunal of Brazil to uphold similar protections by applying international law and fulfilling its duties under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The brief states that the Medical Council “[H]as a compelling interest in safeguarding the physical and psychological well-being of minors and protecting minors from unsafe medical procedures is a part of that interest.” 

    The brief references medical research as part of a growing, larger global consensus to suspend the practice of experimental gender interventions, opting instead for non-invasive psychological treatments.  

    It states, “Previous guidelines for treating gender dysphoria, which allowed for the dispensation of puberty blockers and cross-hormone therapy for minors, as well as for irreversible surgical procedures, lack scientific evidence and have been widely criticized by the scientific community. The new guidelines (…) are part of a reversal in course by health authorities in many nations that once allowed these procedures or forms of intervention without regard for the integral health of minors.

    Support from UN Special Rapporteur

    On 16 June 2025, Reem Alsalem, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, publicly welcomed the Medical Council’s decision, describing the resolution as consistent with its international human rights obligations and a necessary step to protect minors. Alsalem emphasized that permitting children to undergo medicalized gender interventions “violates their right to safety, security, and freedom from violence,” and warned of the long-term physical and psychological harms associated with these interventions. 

    International Shift to Dismantle Gender Ideology

    The move places Brazil among a growing number of countries reassessing the use of these interventions on children in light of serious ethical and medical concerns. 

    In South America, Chile and Argentina have taken steps to restrict the performance of such interventions, and to curtail the influence of gender ideology in its policies. In the U.K., following the publication of the Cass Review, which criticized youth gender treatments, the Tavistock Clinic was shut down by the National Health Service, and the Health Secretary introduced a permanent ban on the use of puberty blockers as a treatment for transgender affirmation. Countries across Europe, including Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Hungary, and Slovakia have implemented legal or administrative measures to restrict these interventions on minors. 

    “Governments are beginning to recognize that so-called ‘gender-affirming care’ for minors is anything but settled,” said Andrea Hoffmann, President of Instituto Isabel. “Brazil’s actions reflect a broader international shift—one that puts the wellbeing of children ahead of political pressure and medical experimentation. We urge the Supreme Federal Tribunal to uphold the Medical Council’s decision and affirm the country’s duty to protect children and safeguard ethical medical practice.” 

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    European Parliament Calls for Urgent Protection of Christians and other Religious Minorities in Syria Following Targeted Attacks

    • The European Parliament adopted a resolution following one of Syria’s deadliest anti-Christian attacks in years at Mar Elias Church in Damascus 
    • ADF International welcomes the resolution’s explicit condemnation of targeted violence against Christians and other religious minorities and calls for greater EU action on religious freedom in Syria 

    STRASBOURG (10 July 2025) – The European Parliament has adopted an Urgency Resolution condemning the terrorist attack on the Greek Orthodox Church of Mar Elias in Damascus and calling for increased protection of Christians and other religious minorities in Syria. The resolution urges action against the rise of violent Islamist extremism and emphasizes the urgent need for religious freedom protections.

    „This resolution marks an important step toward building international momentum to protect Christians and other religious minorities in Syria,“ said Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Global Religious Freedom for ADF International. „The European Parliament is right to demand accountability, not only for the Mar Elias attack, but for the broader pattern of religious persecution in Syria, and to condition future support on the Syrian government’s compliance with human rights obligations.“ 

    This resolution marks an important step toward building international momentum to protect Christians and other religious minorities in Syria. The European Parliament is right to demand accountability, not only for the Mar Elias attack, but for the broader pattern of religious persecution in Syria, and to condition future support on the Syrian government’s compliance with human rights obligations."

    -Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Global Religious Freedom for ADF International

    Growing threats to religious minorities in Syria demand urgent international response

    The resolution follows the June 22 suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Church in Damascus, which left at least 25 dead and over 60 injured in the deadliest anti-Christian attack in Syria in years. The Islamist terrorist group Saraya Ansar al Sunna has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack. 

    The European Parliament condemned the attack and urged the Syrian transitional authorities to conduct independent investigations and to “ensure accountability including by prosecuting perpetrators and enablers of human rights violations like in the case of Mar Elias.” The resolution also calls for the Syrian government to restore the historic Mar Elias Church and to establish a Syria Reconstruction Fund to support reconciliation and interfaith dialogue. The Parliament further calls on EU Member States to maintain and expand targeted sanctions against those responsible for religious freedom violations.

    The resolution draws specific attention to the vulnerability of Christian communities in Syria. In addition to the recent violence, Christians in Syria are facing an escalating pattern of harassment and intimidation—including the recent vandalism of a church in Tartus, where messages were left demanding that local Christians pay jizyah, a historical tax imposed on non-Muslims. In other cities across the country, pastors have faced pressure from authorities to allow government monitoring of church activities. Christians have also been subjected to discriminatory treatment at military and security checkpoints, and there have been multiple reports of Christian cemeteries being desecrated, with crosses on tombs deliberately destroyed. These actions collectively contribute to an atmosphere of fear and marginalization for Syria’s Christian minority. 

    In addition to threats to their safety, harassment, and intimidation, Christians and other religious minorities in Syria face increasing and systemic economic discrimination. Reports indicate that many are denied access to public sector employment, excluded from key roles in the private sector, and often encounter barriers when renewing business licenses or seeking state services. This economic marginalization leaves religious minority families in a highly vulnerable position and continues to drive the emigration and decline of one of Syria’s oldest religious communities. 

    The resolution was adopted as a joint motion pursuant to Rule 136(4) and 150 of the European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, referring to breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The joint motion was tabled by several major political groups, signaling broad consensus on the need to address religious persecution in Syria. 

    “We call on the European Commission to reappoint, without further delay, a Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU,” said Adina Portaru, Senior Counsel for ADF International in Brussels. “This would be an important step in showing much-needed, real commitment to protecting this fundamental right worldwide.” 

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    Musk sets sights on EU online censorship law after Australian free speech win

    • X owner endorses repeal of EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA)
    • On Tuesday, X and Canadian campaigner Chris ‘Billboard Chris’ Elston were successful in striking down an Australian government order from the country’s eSafety Commissioner, that censored Elston’s X post. The legal challenge was coordinated by ADF International and the Human Rights Law Alliance
    • Recent investigative report by the US House Judiciary Committee called out international censorship, including from Australia’s eSafety Commissioner and DSA

    BRUSSELS (3 July 2025) – Elon Musk has set his sights on an EU online censorship law, following his free speech win in Australia earlier this week.

    The tech billionaire said “Yes” in response to an X post from ADF International, a Christian legal advocacy organisation that defends free speech, which said: “Today, the EU takes a significant step toward strengthening online censorship, transforming the ‘Code of Conduct on Disinformation’ into a mandatory part of the Digital Services Act.

    “The DSA threatens free speech across the world and must be repealed.”

    On Tuesday, an Australian tribunal upheld a challenge from X and Canadian campaigner Chris ‘Billboard Chris’ Elston, striking down a government order that censored Elston’s X post. The legal challenge was coordinated by ADF International and the Human Rights Law Alliance of Australia.

    Elston’s February 2024 X post referred to controversial WHO “expert” appointee Teddy Cook by her biologically accurate pronouns. The post was deemed “cyber abuse” by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, which ordered X to remove the content, under the country’s Online Safety Act.

    Following a week-long hearing commencing March 31, 2025, the Administrative Review Tribunal in Melbourne ruled this week that the eSafety Commissioner made the wrong decision in determining Elston’s post was “cyber abuse” and set aside the decision. Read more about the win here.

    Paul Coleman, an international lawyer specialising in free speech and ADF International’s Executive Director, said: “From the EU’s Digital Services Act to Australia’s Online Safety Act, laws restricting free speech online follow a similar censorial playbook across the world.

    “Through legislation like these, we are today witnessing a coordinated global attack on free speech. Elon Musk is right to stand up to DSA censorship and use his platform to advocate for free speech online.

    “Following our free speech win in Australia, ADF International we will continue to challenge online censorship in the digital marketplace of ideas.”

    Code of Conduct on Disinformation

    ADF International’s thread on X, which Musk re-posted with his comment, said: “Today [1 July], the EU takes a significant step toward strengthening online censorship, transforming the ‘Code of Conduct on Disinformation’ into a mandatory part of the Digital Services Act. The DSA threatens free speech across the world and must be repealed.

    “The EU’s DSA has created one of the most dangerous censorship regimes of the digital age. It is an authoritarian framework that enables unelected bureaucrats to control online speech at scale—both in Europe and globally—under the guise of ‘safety’ and ‘protecting democracy’.

    “The DSA is a legally binding regulatory framework that gives the European Commission authority to enforce ‘content moderation’ on very large online platforms and search engines with over 45 million users per month. Platforms that fail to comply face massive financial penalties and even suspension.

    “It requires platforms to remove ‘illegal content,’ defined as anything not in compliance with EU or Member State law at any time, now or in the future. This creates the ‘lowest common denominator’ for censorship across the EU, effectively exporting the most restrictive laws to all Member States. The DSA’s approach to loose concepts such as ‘misinformation,’ ‘disinformation,’ ‘hate speech,’ and ‘information manipulation’ may lead to wide-sweeping removal of online content.”

    US House Judiciary Committee report

    An investigative report by the House Judiciary Committee recently exposed Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant’s coordination with international bodies to censor lawful online speech.

    In addition to the eSafety Commissioner, it also called out DSA censorship, saying: “In recent years, foreign governments have adopted legislation and created regulatory regimes in an effort to target and restrict various forms of online speech.

    “Foreign regulators have even attempted to use their authority to restrict the content that American citizens can view online while in the United States. In particular, the European Commission (EC) and Australia’s eSafety Commissioner have taken steps to limit the types of content that Americans are able to access on social media platforms.”

    The report went on to discuss the DSA and said: “Vague, overly burdensome regulations targeted at so-called ‘systemic risks’ create an environment in which platforms are more likely to remove or demote lawful content to avoid potential fines. The ability of European regulations to exert extraterritorial influence over American companies and consumers in this manner is often referred to as the ‘Brussels Effect.’”

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    Pictured: Paul Coleman, Chris Elston with ADF International’s Lois McLatchie Miller, Chris Elston 

    U.S. Government calls out Australian authorities for blocking online speech; Musk, “Billboard Chris” win case to overturn censorship of biologically-accurate „X” post 

    • Investigative report by the House Judiciary Committee exposes Australian “eSafety Commissioner” Julie Inman-Grant’s co-ordination with international bodies to censor lawful online speech
    • eSafety Commissioner lost battle to censor post using biologically-accurate pronouns against Musk, Billboard Chris this week

    Washington/Sydney (2 July 2025) – The Australian government’s authority to censor opinions expressed on “X” is under scrutiny after an investigation by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee into the activities of Australia’s “eSafety Commissioner”, Julie Inman-Grant. 

    The groundbreaking report into international state censorship highlights concerns only days before news broke of a legal win for free speech against the same State Office. 

    “This is a decisive win for free speech and sets an important precedent in the growing global debate over online censorship."

    - Paul Coleman, Executive Director of ADF International, which co-ordinated Elston's legal case

    Elon Musk’s “X”, and children’s safety campaigner Chris Elston (“Billboard Chris”), challenged the eSafety Commissioner’s decision to censor a tweet using biologically-accurate pronouns to describe a trangender activist appointed to an “expert” position on gender at the WHO. 

    Elston’s post was deemed “cyber abuse” by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, which ordered X to remove the content. X initially refused, and later geo-blocked the post in Australia.  

    Both X and Elston challenged the order, arguing that the censorship was a violation of the fundamental right to free speech. Elston’s legal challenge was coordinated by ADF International, in conjunction with the Human Rights Law Alliance in Australia. The Administrative Review Tribunal in Melbourne held a week-long hearing on the case commencing March 31, 2025.  

    The Tribunal found that the eSafety Commissioner made the wrong decision in determining Elston’s post was “cyber abuse” and set aside the decision.    

    In his finding, Deputy President O’Donovan noted compelling words from Elston’s own testimony to evidence his satisfaction that Elston was not engaging in abuse, but rather, expressing his deeply-held convictions about biological truth: 

    „He [Chris] does not believe that a man can transition to being a woman or vice versa. He summarises his position as follows:  

    „Because I believe that sex is immutable, I am personally convicted that I will not use incorrect pronouns to describe any person, including trans-identifying people who identify as the opposite sex. I will use their preferred names, but I only use sex-based pronouns, because I don’t think it is loving, progressive, or ethical to lie to a person and affirm that they are something that they are not. I believe that calling a man a woman (and vice versa) is not only untrue, but also has implications for the rights and safety of women and children.“  

    [141] „I am satisfied that it is his universal practice to refer to a transgender person by the pronouns that correspond to their biological sex at birth. I am also satisfied that when he classifies a person as either a man or a woman, he determines which classification to use by reference to their biological sex at birth, rather than the gender related characteristics that they currently express. I am satisfied that he believes doing otherwise has implications for the rights and safety of women and children…“ 

    In May, the U.S. State Department condemned the eSafety Commissioner’s actions as part of a broader global trend toward coercive state censorship.   

    U.S. Government reports concerns about international censorship efforts

    The new report released this week from the House Judiciary Committee reveals new evidence showing how an international WEF-linked advertising consortium, the “Global Alliance for Responsible Media” (GARM), leveraged its vast advertising power to coordinate censorship efforts. The GARM was found to be working not only with major global advertisers, but also with foreign regulators, including Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman‑Grant, to suppress disfavoured online speech. 

    In published emails, the report shows that Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman‑Grant explicitly relied on GARM’s insights, stating it “ha[d] some very powerful levers at [its] disposal” and requesting updates to inform her regulatory decisions.  

    The Committee’s report concludes that GARM’s coordinated international efforts—with its commercial might and foreign regulator collusion—constrain citizens’ ability to access content freely, contravening free speech principles, undermining consumer choice, and posing serious antitrust concerns. 

    Comments and reactions

    Reacting to the ruling upholding his freedom to speak the truth on “X”, children’s safety campaigner Chris “Billboard Chris” Elston said: 

    “I’m grateful that truth and common sense have prevailed.  

    “This decision sends a clear message that the government does not have authority to silence peaceful expression.  

    “My mission is to speak the truth about gender ideology, protecting children across the world from its dangers.  

    “With this ruling, the court has upheld my right to voice my convictions—a right that belongs to every one of us.  

    My post should never have been censored in Australia, but my hope is that authorities will now think twice before resorting to censorship”.   

    Paul Coleman, Executive Director of ADF International, which co-ordinated Elston’s legal challenge said: 

    “This is a decisive win for free speech and sets an important precedent in the growing global debate over online censorship.  

    “In this case, the Australian government alarmingly censored the peaceful expression of a Canadian citizen on an American-owned platform, evidence of the expansive reach of censorial forces, even beyond national borders.  

    “Today, free speech has prevailed. This is a victory not just for Billboard Chris, but for every Australian—and indeed every citizen who values the fundamental right to free speech.” 

    In a post responding to the news, “X” Global Government Affairs Team said: 

    “In a victory for free speech, X has won its legal challenge against the Australian eSafety Commissioner’s demand to censor a user’s post about gender ideology or face an approximately $800,000 AUD fine. The post is part of a broader political discussion involving issues of public interest that are subject to legitimate debate.  This is a decisive win for free speech in Australia and around the world. X will continue to fight against coercive state censorship and to defend our users’ rights to free speech.” 

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    Pictured: Chris Elston; Chris Elston with ADF International’s Lois McLatchie Miller at the Sydney Opera House; Chris Elston with the ADF International team who co-ordinated his legal case

    Free Speech Victory in Australia for Billboard Chris as “X” post censorship overturned  

    • Tribunal upholds speech rights of Canadian campaigner Chris “Billboard Chris” Elston, striking down a government order that censored his X post under the country’s Online Safety Act.

    • Censored X post referred to controversial WHO „expert“ appointee Teddy Cook by her biologically accurate pronouns.

    • Censorship case, coordinated by ADF International and the Human Rights Law Alliance, raised alarm over expanding global censorship powers and cross-border restrictions on speech.

    MELBOURNE (1 July 2025) – The Administrative Review Tribunal has ruled in favor of Canadian campaigner Chris “Billboard Chris” Elston, striking down a government order that sought to censor his post on X under the country’s Online Safety Act.  

    Elston’s February 2024 post criticized the appointment of controversial WHO „expert“ appointee Teddy Cook, and referred to her with biologically accurate pronouns. Elston’s post was deemed “cyber abuse” by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, which ordered X to remove the content. X initially refused, and later geo-blocked the post in Australia. 

    Both X and Elston challenged the order, arguing that the censorship was a violation of the fundamental right to free speech. Elston’s legal challenge was coordinated by ADF International, in conjunction with the Human Rights Law Alliance in Australia. The Administrative Review Tribunal in Melbourne held a week-long hearing on the case commencing March 31, 2025. 

    The Tribunal found that the eSafety Commissioner made the wrong decision in determining Elston’s post was “cyber abuse” and set aside the decision.   

    “This is a decisive win for free speech and sets an important precedent in the growing global debate over online censorship. In this case, the Australian government alarmingly censored the peaceful expression of a Canadian citizen on an American-owned platform, evidence of the expansive reach of censorial forces, even beyond national borders. Today, free speech has prevailed."

    - Paul Coleman, Executive Director of ADF International

    “This is a victory not just for Billboard Chris, but for every Australian—and indeed every citizen who values the fundamental right to free speech,” Coleman continued.

    The decision comes amid growing international concern over the Australian government’s expansive censorship powers. In May, the U.S. State Department condemned the eSafety Commissioner’s actions as part of a broader global trend toward coercive state censorship. 

    “I’m grateful that truth and common sense have prevailed,” said Chris Elston. “This decision sends a clear message that the government does not have authority to silence peaceful expression. My mission is to speak the truth about gender ideology, protecting children across the world from its dangers. With this ruling, the court has upheld my right to voice my convictions—a right that belongs to every one of us. My post should never have been censored in Australia, but my hope is that authorities will now think twice before resorting to censorship”. 

    More details on Billboard Chris‘ censorship case available here. 

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    U.K. Premiere of „Live Not By Lies“ Shines Spotlight on Erosion of Freedom in the West 

    • Feature premiere of timely documentary highlights erosion of freedom of expression in Britain, including through recent prosecutions of citizens who have silently prayed near abortion facilities 

    • NYT Bestselling author Rod Dreher, film writer/director Isaiah Smallman, and victims of state censorship including Adam Smith-Connor (convicted for silent prayer) to attend black tie evening on Monday 30th June 

    LONDON (26 June 2025) – On 30 June, thought leaders, journalists, and advocates for liberty will gather in London for the U.K. gala premiere of Live Not By Lies, a powerful new documentary from Root/Cause and Angel Studios.  

    Based on the bestselling book by Rod Dreher, the documentary issues a stark warning about the quiet rise of authoritarianism in Western democracies—an erosion of fundamental freedoms long thought secure. 

    The exclusive screening of the film in central London will be opened with remarks from public commentator Konstantin Kisin, reflecting on his family’s experience as dissidents living under the Soviet Union.  

    "Live Not By Lies exposes disturbing parallels between Soviet-era totalitarian regimes and the ideological pressures mounting today in the United Kingdom and beyond."

    - Isaiah Smallman, Filmmaker

    The documentary screening will be followed with a panel discussion and opportunity for dialogue with leading voices on freedom of speech, conscience, and association, including bestselling author Rod Dreher and filmmaker Isaiah Smallman. 

    “Live Not By Lies exposes disturbing parallels between Soviet-era totalitarian regimes and the ideological pressures mounting today in the United Kingdom and beyond. Through chilling testimony and rigorous analysis, the film compels viewers to consider the real cost of staying silent in the face of encroaching censorship and compelled ideology,” commented filmmaker Isaiah Smallman.  

    “As we witness what’s happening in the streets and courtrooms of today’s West – where citizens face prosecution for voicing their beliefs online, or even praying silently in their heads near abortion facilities – this documentary is a timely reminder that the right to free expression must be zealously defended,” added ADF International spokesperson Lois McLatchie Miller, featured in the film discussing the legal organisation’s cases defending individuals prosecuted for peaceful expression in abortion facility “buffer zones”. 

    Amongst other examples, the documentary examines the story of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who was arrested in 2022 for praying silently near an abortion facility in Birmingham.

    Vaughan-Spruce was charged, tried, found innocent, and re-arrested weeks later for the very same activity. After several months of investigation, with support from ADF International, Vaughan-Spruce received £13,000 compensation from police. However, attempts to criminalise silent prayer continue across the country.  

    The event is by invitation only. Media interested in covering the premiere and panel discussion are encouraged to contact Lois McLatchie Miller by June 27th.  

    Trailer below:

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    Pictured: Lois McLatchie Miller, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce

    UN Expert Report Calls on Governments to Prohibit “Gender Transition” for Children  

    UN undermines parents' rights by pushing gender ideology.
    • UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls calls on states to ensure the terms “women” and “girls” refer exclusively to biological females, and to enshrine this definition in law.
    • Report further calls for a prohibition on the social, legal, and medical „transition“ of children who claim to experience gender dysphoria, among other safeguards
    UN undermines parents' rights by pushing gender ideology.

    GENEVA (25 June 2025) – A new report presented today by Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, warns that states are failing to address both persistent and newly emerging forms of sex-based violence, including in relation to gender ideology.

    The report, entitled “Sex-based violence against women and girls: new frontiers and emerging issues,” urges governments to reaffirm legal protections for women and girls based on their female biological sex, in accordance with their international human rights obligations. 

    In response to an “international push to delink the definition of men and women from their biological sex,” the report outlines concerns around the removal of sex-specific language and its negative impact on the legal recognition and protection of women’s rights. Bringing together submissions from 180 stakeholders, including ADF International, the report holds that these developments result in violations of women and girls’ human rights. 

    The report calls for states to “ensure that the terms ‘women’ and ‘girls’ are only used to describe biological females and that such a meaning is recognized in law.” Further, it urges the prohibition of the prohibition of legal and social transitioning of children who claim to experience gender dysphoria, “as well as their subjugation to experimental, irreversible medical interventions related to gender reassignment.”  

    “This report delivers a timely and urgent message as international awareness solidifies around the dangerous human rights implications of gender ideology, especially its impact on the well-being and healthy development of children. The report underscores how the erosion of legal clarity around sex, an objective and immutable biological reality, has had devastating implications for the dignity, safety and rights of women and girls."

    - Giorgio Mazzoli, Director of UN Advocacy at ADF International

     

    “This report delivers a timely and urgent message as international awareness solidifies around the dangerous human rights implications of gender ideology, especially its impact on the well-being and healthy development of children,” responded Giorgio Mazzoli, Director of UN Advocacy at ADF International. “The report underscores how the erosion of legal clarity around sex, an objective and immutable biological reality, has had devastating implications for the dignity, safety and rights of women and girls. As the Special Rapporteur told governments at the UN Human Rights Council today, ‘you cannot protect what you cannot define’. We urge all States to act without delay to implement the report’s recommendations”. 

    Risks of puberty blockers to children highlighted by UN Expert

    The report states: “The long-lasting and harmful consequences of social and medical transitioning of children, including girls, are being increasingly documented. They include: persistence or intensification of psychological distress; persistence of body dissatisfaction; infertility, early onset of the menopause and an increase in the risk of osteoporosis; sexual dysfunction; and loss of the ability to breastfeed in cases of breast mastectomy (to mention a few).” 

    It further notes: “That has rightly led several countries, such as Brazil, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom to change course and restrict children’s access to puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgery on sexual and reproductive organs. Allowing children access to such procedures not only violates their right to safety, security and freedom from violence, but also disregards their human right to the highest standards of health and goes against their best interests.”  

    The Special Rapporteur also explicitly calls for the protection of single-sex spaces for the protection of women, including in prisons and healthcare settings. 

    Submitted under Human Rights Council resolution 50/7, the report draws from state submissions, recent case law, and existing human rights frameworks, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).  

    A global push against harmful gender ideology

    This publication follows a recent decision by the US Supreme Court in United States of America v. Skrmetti to uphold a Tennessee law protecting children from gender-ideology experiments, demonstrating a global shift toward dismantling gender ideology. 

    In the United Kingdom, the closure of London’s Tavistock Clinic and the publication of the Cass Review signaled a clear rejection of gender ideology experimentation on young people. 

    As highlighted in a recent amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court from 17 international parental rights organisations, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Hungary, and Slovakia are among the list of European countries that have taken legislative, judicial, or administrative steps to protect minors from gender ideology.

    In Latin America, Chile moved to ban gender “transition” for children in May, following bans in Argentina and Brazil.

    “Governments have an obligation under international law to eliminate all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls. This requires urgent and concerted action to reverse the harms caused by the ongoing erasure of their sex-based rights under the pervasive influence of gender ideology. Practices of so-called ‘gender transition’ for minors must be prohibited under the law, and every effort made to uphold the dignity, integrity, and future for every woman and child,” Mazzoli added.

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    Brazilian Mother’s Right to Homeschool to Be Argued Before State Court

    • Brazilian local authorities prosecuted Regiane Cichelero for homeschooling her son and threatened to remove him from her custody if she continued.  
    • Oral arguments for her case will be heard at the highest court in the state of Santa Catarina; ADF International coordinating defense, highlighting international human rights protections for homeschooling. 

    Santa Catarina, BRAZIL (30 June 2025) —  On July 1 the highest court in the state of Santa Catarina will hear oral arguments for the case of Regiane Cichelero, a Christian mother in Brazil who was prosecuted for homeschooling her son. ADF International is supporting her legal defense, which challenges the state’s attempt to penalize parents for exercising their right to direct their children’s education, a right firmly protected under international human rights law. 

    Cichelero began homeschooling her son in 2020 after public schools closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. When schools reopened, she continued teaching him at home, believing it to be the best choice for providing quality education in accordance with her family’s religious values.  

    Following her decision to homeschool, local authorities fined her over $20,000 USD, and a judge threatened to remove her son from her custody if she did not enroll him in a public school.  

    No parent should fear state punishment for choosing to homeschool their child.egiane made a lawful and conscientious decision to teach her son at home. We are hopeful that the court will affirm her rights and take an important step toward protecting parental rights in Brazil."

    - Julio Pohl, Legal Counsel for Latin America at ADF International

    “No parent should fear state punishment for choosing to homeschool their child,” said Julio Pohl, ADF International’s Legal Counsel for Latin America, which is supporting Cichelero’s legal defense. “Regiane made a lawful and conscientious decision to teach her son at home. We are hopeful that the court will affirm her rights and take an important step toward protecting parental rights in Brazil.” 

    Background

    Over 70,000 children are currently homeschooled in Brazil. International human rights law protects the rights of parents to make choices concerning the type of education that their children receive.  

    Article 26.3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that, “parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children”. In addition, Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights holds that states must respect the right of parents “to choose for their children schools, other than those established by the public authorities, which conform to such minimum educational standards as may be laid down or approved by the State and to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions”.    

    Leading up to her court date, Cichelero stated, “It is my role as a mother to provide the best education I can for my son. The state’s decision to penalize me has made it difficult to fulfill that duty. But I look forward to this hearing, and I am hopeful for a decision that affirms the right of parents to direct their children’s education. No parent in Brazil should fear the risk of fines or even of losing custody of their child simply for making the best choice for their family.”  

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    US Supreme Court Upholds State Law Protecting Children from Gender-Ideology Experiments  

    • High Court sides with Tennessee law that regulates harmful drugs, surgeries attempting to “transition” children
       
    • Ruling in United States v. Skrmetti will help protect 26 similar state laws

    WASHINGTON (18 June 2025) – In a landmark victory for children’s health and science-based medicine, the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday upheld Tennessee’s law protecting minors from harmful and life-altering drugs and surgeries. The ruling in United States v. Skrmetti will help protect 26 similar state laws and return common sense to America’s medical system. 

    The Court held that Tennessee’s Senate Bill 1, a bipartisan law passed in 2023, is constitutional. The law prohibits health care providers from providing puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones or potentially irreversible surgeries to encourage children to live as the opposite sex.  

    "States are free to protect children from the greatest medical scandal in generations—and that’s exactly what states like Tennessee have done."

    - Kristen Waggoner, CEO and President, Alliance Defending Freedom

    The ruling signals that American states have broad constitutional authority to ban dangerous so-called “gender transition” procedures and interventions for minors, and it aligns the U.S. with a growing international movement to protect youth from gender ideology.  

    “No one has the right to harm a child,” said Alliance Defending Freedom CEO and President Kristen Waggoner. “The Biden administration and ACLU asked the court to create a ‘constitutional right’ to give children harmful, experimental drugs and surgeries that turn them into patients for life. This would have forced states to base their laws on ideology, not evidence—to the immense harm of countless children. The court’s rejection of that request is a monumental victory for children, science, and common sense. States are free to protect children from the greatest medical scandal in generations—and that’s exactly what states like Tennessee have done.”  

    Tennessee’s law is “plainly rationally related” to the state’s findings that administering puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to minors with gender dysphoria “can lead to the minor becoming irreversibly sterile, having increased risk of disease and illness, or suffering from adverse and sometimes fatal psychological consequences,” the court wrote in its opinion. The law is also rationally related to “the State’s objective of protecting minors’ health and welfare.” 

    Background

    Currently, 26 states, in addition to Tennessee, have enacted comparable laws in the U.S to protect children from gender-ideology experiments. The High Court decided to review the case United States v. Skrmetti after the Biden administration appealed a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit that upheld Tennessee’s law. ADF filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the Supreme Court in October 2024, urging it to let state legislatures protect children from these experimental medical procedures.    

    The Court’s decision follows a global shift toward dismantling gender ideology. In the United Kingdom, the closure of London’s Tavistock Clinic and the publication of the Cass Review signaled a clear rejection of gender ideology experimentation on young people. As highlighted in an amicus brief to the Court from 17 international parental rights organisations, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Hungary, and Slovakia are among the list of European countries that have taken legislative, judicial, or administrative steps to protect minors from gender ideology. In Latin America, Chile moved to ban gender “transition” for children in May, following bans in Argentina and Brazil. 

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