New decision allows paid religious leave on Easter for Christian employees under Egypt’s Labor Law
ADF International supports an ongoing petition seeking full recognition of Easter Sunday as a national public holiday
GLASGOW (12 January 2026) – A Glaswegian grandmother will enter a plea in court tomorrow afternoon after she was arrested and criminally charged for offering consensual conversation in a “buffer zone”.
Rose Docherty, 75, faces two charges related to alleged “influencing” within a “buffer zone”, despite having only stood peacefully and silently offering consensual conversation outside the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow last September.
She held a sign that read: “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want” and did not approach any individual or make any statement about abortion.
Mrs Docherty will tomorrow enter a plea at Glasgow Sheriff Court. The hearing is due to start at 2pm.
The Christian grandmother is the first person to be charged under Scotland’s censorial 2024 “buffer zone” law, which forbids harassment, intimidation and “influencing” of anyone seeking to access abortion services. The “buffer zones” are enforced within 200 metres of every hospital.
The US State Department expressed concern over Mrs Docherty’s arrest as “another egregious example of the tyrannical suppression of free speech happening across Europe” and last week the Scottish Catholic Bishops’ Conference also expressed concern, and strongly criticised Scotland’s “buffer zone” legislation.
“Everybody has the right to engage in consensual conversation. I held my sign with love and compassion, inviting anyone who wants to chat, to do so – and stood peacefully, not approaching anyone. I should not be treated as a criminal for inviting people to chat with me – lending a listening ear. Conversation is not forbidden on the streets of Glasgow. And yet, this is the second time I have been arrested for doing just that.”"
Mrs Docherty said: “Everybody has the right to engage in consensual conversation. I held my sign with love and compassion, inviting anyone who wants to chat, to do so – and stood peacefully, not approaching anyone.
“I should not be treated as a criminal for inviting people to chat with me – lending a listening ear. Conversation is not forbidden on the streets of Glasgow. And yet, this is the second time I have been arrested for doing just that.”
Legal Counsel for ADF International, Jeremiah Igunnubole commented:
“It’s deeply concerning that Scottish policing resources are being ploughed into arresting and prosecuting a peaceful grandmother offering to speak to people in public, rather than focusing on the problems caused by real crime in Glasgow.
“This is not a case about harassment, intimidation or violent protest – this is simply a grandmother, who held a sign offering to speak to anyone who would like to engage.”
Following her arrest, Mrs Docherty was held in custody for several hours. She was refused a chair to sit on in her cell, despite making it known that she had a double hip replacement.
This was Mrs Docherty’s second arrest for peacefully offering consensual conversation. Last August, Scottish authorities dropped their case against her for holding the same sign in the same place, after a global outcry against the 75-year-old grandmother’s arrest, including concerns raised in an online post by the US State Department.
The US State Department commented on Mrs Docherty’s latest arrest:
“The arrest of Rose Docherty is another egregious example of the tyrannical suppression of free speech happening across Europe.
“When 75-year-old grandmothers are being arrested for standing peacefully and offering conversation, common sense and basic civility are under attack.
“The United States will always speak out against these violations of fundamental rights.”
The architect of Scotland’s “buffer zone” law, Gillian Mackay MSP, admitted on BBC Scotland earlier last year that the vague prohibitions in the legislation could criminalise someone for praying visibly from a window in their home within a “buffer zone”, “depending on who’s passing by the window.”
US Vice President JD Vance highlighted this law as a particular matter for concern in his Munich Security Conference speech in February last year.
BRASILIA (12 January 2026) — A UK-based Brazilian social media commentator is under police investigation in Brazil after posting an online video criticizing public officials for using government money to fund pro-LGBT NGOs in Brazil. Nine Borges is a UK-based scientific consultant with 265,000 followers on Instagram, where she is a prominent critic of transgender ideology. In a short online video posted to Instagram in September 2024, in which she spoke to the camera from her home, she drew attention to concerns about the financing and influence of pro-LGBT organisations in Brazil and included criticism of Symmy Larrat, Brazil’s LGBT National Secretary. The video drew nearly 15,000 likes and 180,000 views. Larrat is a man who identifies as a woman and describes himself on social media using explicit terminology. After Larrat filed a complaint over the video, Borges was summoned for questioning by the Federal Police of Brasilia in October. She is now being investigated for alleged “transphobia” and “defamation.” Authorities have recommended the investigation move forward to formal prosecution. ADF International is providing legal support to Borges as a result of the investigation.
"No one should face criminal investigation simply for expressing their views about government policy. The attempt to classify peaceful criticism as ‘transphobia’ represents a serious threat to freedom of speech, which is already so imperiled in Brazil. The authorities must ensure that fundamental rights are protected, not punished."
“No one should face criminal investigation simply for expressing their views about government policy. The attempt to classify peaceful criticism as ‘transphobia’ represents a serious threat to freedom of speech, which is already so imperiled in Brazil. The authorities must ensure that fundamental rights are protected, not punished,” said Julio Pohl, legal counsel at ADF International.
International human rights law guarantees the right to express ideas without fear of criminal investigation or prosecution, including criticism of public officials. ADF International represents five Brazilian legislators (Senator Eduardo Girao and members of the Chamber of Deputies Marcel Van Hattem, Adriana Ventura, Gilson Marques, and Ricardo Salles) before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The legislators are challenging the violations of their free speech rights before the Commission. They claim violations of their rights under the Convention, including their freedom of expression, as a result of escalating state censorship which reached a head with last year’s X ban in Brazil during the municipal elections period. Censorship in Brazil has been a persistent and escalating problem since 2019.
GLASGOW (19 December 2025) – Glaswegian grandmother Rose Docherty appeared in court, having been criminally charged for holding a sign within 200m of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, reading:
“Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want.”
In Scotland, “buffer zones” are enforced within 200m of every hospital, forbidding harassment, intimidation, and “influencing” of anyone seeking to access abortion services.
“I should not be treated as a criminal for inviting people to chat with me – lending a listening ear."
Docherty, 75, has been charged for “influencing” within the buffer zone, despite only having stood peacefully and silently offering consensual conversation and not having approached any individual, nor making any statement on abortion.
She is the first person to be charged under Scotland’s new “buffer zone” law, enacted in 2024.
After her arrest, Docherty was held in custody for several hours. She was refused a chair to sit on in her cell, despite making it known that she had a double hip replacement.
Following the hearing, Docherty said: “I can’t believe I am here today. I simply stood, in love and compassion, offering consensual conversation to anyone who wanted to engage.
Nobody should be criminalised just for offering a chat.
I’d like to thank my legal team, and all who came to be with me today, as well as all those others around the world who have voiced their support.
Conversation is not a crime on the streets of Glasgow.”
In a win for Rose’s liberty, the prosecution today rolled back bail conditions, previously described as “disproportionate” by ADF International, which had prevented Rose from attending an area far wider than the buffer zone itself.
The next hearing will take place on 13th January 2026.
A case of international concern
Following the arrest, which was seen on a viral video across the world, the U.S. State Department expressed concern:
“The arrest of Rose Docherty is another egregious example of the tyrannical suppression of free speech happening across Europe.
“When 75-year-old grandmothers are being arrested for standing peacefully and offering conversation, common sense and basic civility are under attack.
“The United States will always speak out against these violations of fundamental rights.”
Lois McLatchie Miller, Scottish Spokesperson for ADF International, said:
“It is not a crime to have a chat on the streets of Glasgow. Rose merely held a sign offering consensual conversations to other adults in the area. It’s deeply concerning that Scottish policing resources are being ploughed into arresting and prosecuting a peaceful grandmother offering to speak to people in public, rather than focusing on the problems caused by real crime in Glasgow.
“This is not a case about harassment, intimidation or violent protest – this is simply a peaceful grandmother, who held a sign offering to speak to anyone who would like to engage.”
The law’s architect, Gillian Mackay MSP, admitted on BBC Scotland earlier this year that the vague prohibitions in the buffer zones law could criminalise someone for praying visibly from a window in their home within the zone, “depending on who’s passing by the window.”
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance highlighted this law as a particular matter for concern in his Munich Security Conference speech in February of this year.
Images for free use in print or online in relation to this story only
BIRMINGHAM (17 December 2025) – West Midlands Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have criminally charged Isabel Vaughan-Spruce because she “stood outside” an abortion facility, where “influence” is prohibited.
The charitable volunteer has been under investigation since January for engaging in silent prayer on a public street near an abortion facility in Birmingham.
“Silent prayer - or holding pro-life beliefs - cannot possibly be a crime. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought."
This is the first charge under the new national “buffer zones”, which came into force in October 2024, under Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023.
The Attorney General confirmed on 16th December, in response to a parliamentary question from former Home Secretary Suella Braverman MP about Vaughan-Spruce’s case, that “The Crown Prosecution Service has issued proceedings under Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023, in relation to one case, since it was commenced on 31 October 2024.”
Vaughan-Spruce had not yet received information about the criminal charge when this written answer was issued, but was informed hours later in a letter from West Midlands Police.
All previous court cases regarding the status of silent prayer took place in the context of “buffer zones” enforced by local authorities via Public Spaces Protection Orders, rather than through this new law.
The new national law prohibits “influencing any person’s decision to access, provide or facilitate abortion services” within 150m of abortion facilities, but does not mention silent prayer specifically.
CPS guidance on the law stipulates that silent prayer on its own is not enough to meet the threshold of criminality unless it is accompanied by “overt” activity.
Investigated for a “thoughtcrime”
On 18 March 2025, West Midlands Police informed Vaughan-Spruce she was under investigation for praying silently near the facility on 27th January, as well as several other subsequent dates. Vaughan-Spruce has been peacefully praying in the same public area on a regular basis for two decades.
Vaughan-Spruce, with legal support from ADF International, sent numerous requests for clarification in proceeding months as to the status of her case, pointing out that the legislation does not function as a ban on her mere presence or on holding pro-life Christian beliefs.
Repeated injustice over silent “thoughtcrime”
In 2023, the charitable volunteer was acquitted in court after being arrested for praying in a local “buffer zone,” under a Public Spaces Protection Order that banned “expressions of approval or disapproval” of abortion. The incident occurred while the abortion facility was closed. The prosecution offered no evidence to support a conviction.
Despite being cleared of any wrongdoing, Vaughan-Spruce was arrested again for her silent thoughts in the same location weeks later in March 2023, opening an investigation that lasted several months. In August 2024, Vaughan-Spruce successfully challenged her two unjust arrests and received a settlement from West Midlands Police of £13,000.
On regular occasions, she has been approached by officers and asked if she is praying. Once, she was observed by two officers posted to watch her activities.
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce commented:
“Despite being fully vindicated multiple times after being wrongfully arrested for my thoughts, it’s unbelievable that I have yet again been charged for standing in that public area, and holding pro-life beliefs. Silent prayer – or holding pro-life beliefs – cannot possibly be a crime. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought.”
Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal counsel for ADF International, who have supported Vaughan-Spruce’ legal defence, said:
“’Buffer zones’ are among the most concerning frontiers of censorship in the modern west. We all stand against harassment and abuse, but the ‘buffer zone’ law broadly bans ‘influence’ which is being interpreted by police officers to target innocent people who happen to stand in a certain place and believe a certain thing. We will continue to robustly challenge this unjust censorship, and support Isabel’s right to think and believe freely as is the right of every person in the UK.”
Images for free use in print or online in relation to this story only
Pictured: Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, Jeremiah Igunnubole
GLASGOW (17 December 2025) – Glaswegian grandmother Rose Docherty will appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court at her First Hearing on Friday, having been criminally charged for holding a sign within 200m of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, reading:
“Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want.”
In Scotland, “buffer zones” are enforced within 200m of every hospital, forbidding harassment, intimidation, and “influencing” of anyone seeking to access abortion services.
“I should not be treated as a criminal for inviting people to chat with me – lending a listening ear."
Despite only having stood peacefully and silently offering consensual conversation and not having approached any individual, nor making any statement on abortion – Docherty has been charged with breaching the “buffer zone.”
Following the arrest, which was seen on a viral video across the world, the U.S. State Department expressed concern:
“The arrest of Rose Docherty is another egregious example of the tyrannical suppression of free speech happening across Europe.
“When 75-year-old grandmothers are being arrested for standing peacefully and offering conversation, common sense and basic civility are under attack.
“The United States will always speak out against these violations of fundamental rights.”
After her arrest, Docherty was held in custody for several hours. She was refused a chair to sit on in her cell, despite making it known that she had a double hip replacement.
Docherty was charged and released on bail. Stringent bail conditions prevent her from attending an area marked out to be wider than the initial “buffer zone” area, in a move the legal team at ADF International call “disproportionate”.
Reacting to her arrest, Rose Docherty said:
“Everybody has the right to engage in consensual conversation. I held my sign with love and compassion, inviting anyone who wants to chat, to do so – and stood peacefully, not approaching anyone.
“I should not be treated as a criminal for inviting people to chat with me – lending a listening ear. Conversation is not forbidden on the streets of Glasgow. And yet, this is the second time I have been arrested for doing just that.”
Legal Counsel for ADF International, Jeremiah Igunnubole commented:
“It’s deeply concerning that Scottish policing resources are being ploughed into arresting and prosecuting a peaceful grandmother offering to speak to people in public, rather than focusing on the problems caused by real crime in Glasgow.
“This is not a case about harassment, intimidation or violent protest – this is simply a grandmother, who held a sign offering to speak to anyone who would like to engage.”
The law’s architect, Gillian Mackay MSP, admitted on BBC Scotland earlier this year that the vague prohibitions in the buffer zones law could criminalise someone for praying visibly from a window in their home within the zone, “depending on who’s passing by the window.”
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance highlighted this law as a particular matter for concern in his Munich Security Conference speech in February of this year.
Images for free use in print or online in relation to this story only
BRUSSELS (9 December 2025) – A UK citizen and Canadian campaigner are seeking compensation after they were arrested by Brussels authorities for peacefully expressing views about the harmful effects of puberty blockers on children.
On 5 June 2025, Belgian police detained Chris Elston (known online as “Billboard Chris”) and ADF International’s Lois McLatchie Miller while they were conducting man-on-the-street interviews about gender ideology and the harmful effects of puberty blockers on children. To prompt conversation, they held signs reading: “Children are never born in the wrong body,” and “Children cannot consent to puberty blockers”.
“It is scandalous to expose children to puberty blockers, and it is scandalous to silence and jail those who speak out about it. No one should fear arrest for defending children's safety.”
With the support of ADF International and Belgian legal counsel, Elston and McLatchie Miller have issued a formal demand letter to the Brussels Chief of Police, as well as to the ombudsman, the city, the police inspectorate, and the state.
Images for free use in print or online in relation to this story only
Pictured: Chris Elston, Lois McLatchie Miller
Members of the European Parliament, human rights advocates, and survivors of persecution gathered at the European Parliament on December 4th to spotlight the escalating violence and discrimination faced by Christian communities across South Asia.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 2) — The House Appropriations Committee today hosted a Congressional roundtable focused on the United States’ next steps for addressing the severe crisis of Christian persecution in Nigeria. Appointed by President Trump to develop policy recommendations, the committee heard from leading Members of Congress, including Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV), Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), and Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL). ADF International’s Sean Nelson, Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom, joined the roundtable to deliver expert remarks. Other expert panelists included U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Chair Vicky Hartzler and Dr. Ebenezer Obadare with the Council on Foreign Relations.
During the discussion, Congressmembers examined urgent legislative and diplomatic measures to respond to mounting evidence of targeted violence against Christians. Nigeria remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world to practise the Christian faith, with extremist groups and armed militias responsible for thousands of killings, mass abductions, and widespread destruction of churches and communities. Despite the scale of the atrocities, perpetrators continue to operate with impunity.
“This is a real opportunity to stop in large measure one of the worst persecution situations in the world. We do not have to wait until it is too late. We can act, with a real chance of success, now,” Nelson stated in his remarks.
“This is a real opportunity to stop in large measure one of the worst persecution situations in the world. We do not have to wait until it is too late. We can act, with a real chance of success, now."
Nelson’s remarks follow his appearance at a November United Nations event hosted by the U.S. Mission to the UN, in which Nelson provided commentary on an expert panel on the plight of Christina in Nigeria, alongside Ambassador Mike Waltz, FOX’s Harris Faulkner, and singer Nicki Minaj, who has used her platform to become a major advocate for Nigerian Christians.
Experts reminded policymakers of longstanding calls for decisive U.S. action. In October 2025, the Trump Administration redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), marking a major step toward mobilising a U.S. government response to the increasing attacks on Christians in the country.
Additional recommendations discussed at the roundtable included: (1) Increasing security, especially in the Middle Belt where Christians face the most persecution from Fulani militants, and effectively respond to early warnings. (2) Ending impunity by vigorously prosecuting individuals responsible for attacks against Christians and others, and investigating and disciplining officials who have turned a blind eye. (3) Facilitating the safe return of millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their communities, and prioritizing reconstruction of churches, schools, and homes destroyed in attacks. (4) Stopping enforcement of and repealing the blasphemy laws, as well as prosecuting mob attacks.
This follows a November letter addressed to U.S. President Donald Trump, in which a coalition of religious freedom experts and advocates proposed next steps for the Nigerian government to protect persecuted Christians.
“Our brothers and sisters in Christ are being persecuted and slaughtered in Nigeria simply for professing their faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That’s why President Trump designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, and why he asked me, along with the House Committee on Appropriations, to look into the horrific persecution of Christians in Nigeria. I’m grateful to Chairman Diaz-Balart for convening this critical discussion to receive expert testimony on the crisis in Nigeria.
I’m particularly grateful for the work that Sean Nelson and the Alliance Defending Freedom International has done in defending Christians in Nigeria and raising awareness of the horrific conditions Christians in Nigeria face,” said Representative Riley Moore.
“Today’s discussion is an important dialogue to ensure we have a full picture of the ongoing crisis Nigerian Christians face every day. The world will no longer turn a blind eye to the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.”
Nigeria remains one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian. In 2025 alone, according to one estimate, more than 7,000 Christians have been killed for their faith. Since Boko Haram launched its insurgency in 2009, estimates indicate that between 50,000 and 100,000 Christians have lost their lives due to religiously motivated violence.
The destruction of churches has become a defining feature of the crisis, with thousands of churches attacked or destroyed in recent years. In the central regions of Benue and Plateau States the situation has worsened dramatically, with more than 9,500 people, mostly Christians, killed between May 2023 and May 2025, and around 500,000 individuals newly displaced from their homes due to targeted attacks.
ADF International advocates for Christians and other religious minorities who face severe persecution across Nigeria. The organization has provided legal support for multiple individuals targeted under blasphemy laws or attacked for their faith.
ADF International supported the legal defense of Rhoda Jatau, a Christian mother imprisoned for 19 months after allegedly sharing a video condemning the brutal lynching of Christian college student Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu. Jatau was fully acquitted in December 2024, marking an important victory for justice and free expression.
ADF International also backed the successful appeal of *David (name changed for security reasons)*, a Christian man who was wrongfully convicted and suffered torture after helping a convert escape violent threats. A Nigerian High Court ultimately overturned his conviction, acknowledging the injustices he endured.
Today, ADF International continues its support for Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a Sufi musician imprisoned for over five years after a WhatsApp message deemed blasphemous. Facing a death sentence, Sharif-Aminu is now awaiting his next hearing before the Supreme Court of Nigeria, and his case may be heard and decided in the coming months. Sharif-Aminu’s case has the potential to abolish Nigeria’s blasphemy laws, which embolden mob violence and fuel the climate of hostility facing Christians and other vulnerable groups.
ADELAIDE (2 December) – Mother of six, Nicki Gaylard, is “strongly considering” legal action against the Department of Education following a presentation that exposed Year 9 girls – including her daughter, aged 14 – to highly inappropriate and explicit sexual content without parental knowledge or consent.
Year 9 girls, including Nicki’s daughter Courtney, were removed from regular lessons and placed into an unsupervised presentation facilitated by external personnel. During this session, the girls report being shown sexually explicit material and hearing graphic references that left them distressed and confused.
"I'm looking to take this forward for the sake of other kids across the country who shouldn't have to go through what my daughter went through; and for all the parents who should never be sidestepped in this way."
The presenters made reference to practices including bestiality, telling the girls “don’t Google it though”. The presentation also included people who have sex with siblings, with presenters using the terms “sister love” and “brother love”.
During the lesson, which emphasized themes of diversity and acceptance, images were put on the screen to show the children “trans bodies” – displaying bodies from the waist-up, where scars from double mastectomies were visible.
The school did not inform parents ahead of this session, nor did they provide any opportunity to consent or withdraw their children.
Following the incident, Nicki Gaylard withdrew her children from the school, stating that she could not risk their exposure to unsupervised and inappropriate sexual content within the school environment.
Despite having presented the content across multiple schools, third-party education provider, “headspace”, has refused to allow Nicki access to view the PowerPoint.
Nicki Gaylard said: “I am strongly considering taking this case forward because I’m seeking justice for my daughter, who was deeply affected by what she saw that day. Her childhood was shortened through exposure to completely inappropriate material that headspace won’t even let me see. How can they be happy to show to children what they are ashamed to show to adults? Let children be children.
“I’m also looking to take this forward for the sake of other kids across the country who shouldn’t have to go through what my daughter went through; and for all the parents who should never be sidestepped in this way. That is, after all, our right and our duty as parents – and school authorities should respect our authority to determine what’s appropriate for our kids.”
Robert Clarke, Director of Advocacy for ADF International, supporting Gaylard’s case, said: “Parents send their children to school expecting an education and them to be kept safe, not exposure to explicit sexual content. Yet that basic trust was broken. No parent should be kept in the dark about what their child is being taught, and no child should be placed in an unsupervised session dealing with adult themes.”
“Sadly, Nicki’s case is an example of a larger pattern. Increasingly, parents are discovering that radical approaches to sex education – often shaped by internationally-developed curricula and promoted by activist groups at the national level – are being quietly rolled out. This case is about drawing a firm line: parental rights matter, transparency matters, and safeguarding children is not optional.”
The Department of Education has acknowledged procedural failures, confirming that parents were not notified; required vetting processes were not followed; no teacher was present; and an investigation is underway into the third-party presenter.
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Photos by Giovanni Portello / ADF International
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