freedom of speech Archives

UK: Christian woman criminally charged for standing, silently praying

Charitable volunteer Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who was previously cleared in court and received a payout from police for being unjustly arrested twice for her silent prayers, has been criminally charged again
Vaughan-Spruce will appear in court 29th January, supported by ADF International

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."

- Isabel Vaughan-Spruce

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

Brussels authorities face legal challenge after arresting individuals expressing concerns about puberty blockers

Demand letter issued to Belgian Police following arrest of campaigner “Billboard Chris” (Canada) and Lois McLatchie Miller (UK)
Pair were arrested for holding conversations in public space about gender ideology: “children cannot consent to puberty blockers”

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.”

- Lois McLatchie Miller

McLatchie Miller had initially called the police for help after being harassed repeatedly by hostile men on the street while trying to conduct interviews. An aggressive crowd formed around the pair. Upon arrival, 14 police officers decided to arrest McLatchie Miller and Elston rather than the aggressors. The pair were taken into custody, held for several hours, and had their signs confiscated and destroyed.

Right to Free Speech Violated

Responding to the incident at the time, the U.S. State Department said: “We are aware of these reports and are looking into the matter. The State Department strongly supports the peaceful freedom of expression for all”.

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.

Estás viendo un contenido de marcador de posición de YouTube. Para acceder al contenido real, haz clic en el siguiente botón. Ten en cuenta que al hacerlo compartirás datos con terceros proveedores.

Más información

Desbloquear contenido Aceptar el servicio requerido y desbloquear los contenidos

The letter asserts that the authorities’ actions violated their freedom of expression and physical integrity under Belgian and international human rights law. It requests: a thorough and impartial investigation into the incident; official acknowledgment of rights violations; appropriate compensation and steps to ensure that such actions will not recur. “Billboard Chris and Lois McLatchie Miller were arrested while holding consensual conversations on the street about the basic truth about the dangers of gender ideology. Any society that denies the basic right to express the truth is on a path to totalitarianism. “Whether online or on the street, it is clear that free speech has reached a crisis point in Europe. EU governments cannot claim to uphold human rights while repeatedly violating the right to free expression. “Belgian authorities not only failed to uphold the fundamental right to speak freely, they turned the power of the state against two individuals who were peacefully exercising their rights at the behest of increasingly aggressive bystanders, said Dr Felix Böllmann, Director of European Advocacy for ADF International. Elston, who regularly speaks about protecting children from harmful gender ideology in public squares across Europe and North America, including by sharing his conversations on social media, has publicly stated that he intends to return to Brussels and expects authorities to safeguard his right to speak freely. “I’m speaking in the public square about one of the most significant medical human rights scandals of our day – the deliberate damaging of children’s bodies for an ideology which teaches they were born in the wrong body. “Children don’t need drugs or scalpels – they are perfect just as they are, and need affirmation to love the skin they’re in. My engagement is based on mountains of medical evidence that has been established across the world. A society that punishes citizens for stating truth is on a dangerous path,” Elston said. McLatchie Miller added: “Puberty blockers, and the cross-sex hormones that so often follow them, are highly dangerous drugs that can cause long-lasting damage to children – impacting their bodily development, bone density, mental health, lifelong fertility, and more. It is scandalous to expose children to these drugs, and it is scandalous to silence and jail those who speak out about it. No one should fear arrest for defending children’s safety.”

Images for free use in print or online in relation to this story only

Pictured: Chris Elston, Lois McLatchie Miller

Belgium europe freedom of speech gender ideology

Scottish politician seeks to criminalise “influencing” a person’s decision about assisted suicide

Scottish Green Party’s Patrick Harvie proposes a censored “buffer zone” around facilities where assisted suicides might take place, preventing family members or concerned individuals from changing a person’s mind
Move echoes abortion “buffer zones” law enacted in Scotland last year, under which a grandmother was arrested for offering a conversation

EDINBURGH (29 October 2025) – A Scottish parliamentarian and member of the Health Committee, Patrick Harvie MSP, has proposed an amendment to Scotland’s controversial “assisted suicide” bill that would criminalise discussion of suicide prevention within a large, undefined public area surrounding any building where an assisted suicide might take place.

The vague proposal would forbid any attempts to “influence” a person’s decision to undergo an assisted suicide, such as through conversation with a family member or the display of a suicide prevention poster.

"It's unthinkable that Scots should be banned on certain streets from offering hope and encouraging someone to choose life, not suicide."

- Lois McLatchie Miller, ADF International

Almost half of those who opted for assisted suicides in Oregon cited concerns about being a perceived “burden on family, friends or caregivers” as a driver for their decision to end their lives, according to public health data released in 2023.

Concerns for Free Speech

The move echoes the “buffer zones” law put in place in Scotland last year, which criminalises any attempts to “influence” a person’s decision to access abortion services within 200m of every hospital.

In August, 75-year-old grandmother Rose Docherty became the first person to be arrested under the abortion “buffer zones” law after she peacefully offered consensual conversation, holding a sign reading “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want”. The U.S. State Department condemned the arrest as “another egregious example of the tyrannical suppression of free speech happening across Europe.” ADF International is supporting her legal defence as she faces trial in December.

At the Munich Security Conference in February, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance criticised the Scottish buffer zones law, summarising that “free speech, I fear, is in retreat”.

Reacting to Harvie’s proposal, Lois McLatchie Miller from ADF International said:

“It’s unthinkable that Scots should be banned on certain streets from offering hope and encouraging someone to choose life, not suicide.

How will this impact a doctor’s choice to have a suicide-prevention charity’s poster in their window? How will this impact important conversations between loved ones, eager to convince an elderly wife or a parent that they are not a burden, but a valuable member of the family?

“Once the principle of a censorial ‘buffer zone’ is approved for one issue, it can easily multiply to more and more issues. We’ve already seen loosely worded abortion ‘buffer zone’ rules be used to arrest a grandmother simply for offering to chat. Now the government seeks to apply the same vague, broad rules to ban speech about assisted suicide. What could be next? Banning parents from “influencing” their child outside a gender clinic? Banning dissenting speech about foreign regimes around certain embassies? Censorship is always a slippery slope.”

Images for free use in print or online in relation to this story only

PICTURED: Rose Docherty, Lois McLatchie Miller

assisted suicide freedom of speech Scotland

TOMORROW: Finnish Politician Faces Supreme Court for Bible Tweet

Päivi standing outside smiling in her native Finland

Tomorrow, the Supreme Court of Finland will hear the landmark case of Finnish parliamentarian Dr. Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola, who stand accused of “hate speech” for publicly expressing their Christian beliefs.

europe free speech freedom of speech Paivi Päivi Räsänen Paul Coleman

MEDIA ADVISORY: Finnish Parliamentarian on Trial for Tweet to Address Post-Trial Press Conference, October 30th 

Räsänen will be available for questions at an online press conference hosted by ADF International on Oct 30th at 16:00 CET (11:00 EDT) 

freedom of speech Paivi Paul Coleman

U.S. State Department: Arrest of Scottish Christian Grandmother is “Tyrannical”

Christian grandmother arrested a second time; criminally charged for holding a sign reading “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want” within 200m of a hospital
“The arrest of Rose Docherty is another egregious example of the tyrannical suppression of free speech happening across Europe”, warns U.S. State Department

GLASGOW (29 September 2025) – The U.S. State Department has expressed concern over the arrest of 75-year-old Rose Docherty, as seen in a viral video over the weekend.

The Glasgwegian grandmother has 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.

"The United States will always speak out against these violations of fundamental rights."

- U.S. State Department Spokesperson

Responding to the arrest, the U.S. State Department told the Telegraph:

“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.”

Despite only having offered consensual conversation and not having approached any individual, nor making any statement on abortion – Docherty has been charged with breaching the “buffer zone.”

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.”

In August, Scottish authorities dropped their case against Docherty 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 U.S. State Department.

After her arrest this week, 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 has been 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”.

Legal Counsel for ADF International, Lorcan Price 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

Pictured: Rose Docherty, Lorcan Price (ADF International)

free speech freedom of speech UK

Glasgow Grandmother arrested AGAIN for offering conversations in abortion “buffer zone”

Christian grandmother arrested a second time; criminally charged for holding a sign reading “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want” within 200m of a hospital
Rose Docherty, aged 75, left without chair for two hours in a police cell – despite having two hip replacements

GLASGOW (27 September 2025) – 75-year-old grandmother Rose Docherty has been arrested a second time and 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."

- Rose Docherty

Despite only having stood silently offering consensual conversation and not having approached any individual, Docherty has been charged with breaching the “buffer zone.”