East African Court case filed: Christian communities in DRC left unable to worship after targeted attacks on churches, charities

  • Religious freedom advocates demand a halt to attacks, financial compensation to rebuild destroyed churches; ADF International legally supporting the case.  
  • Continued attacks in the region aimed to destroy the central Christian religious pillars of the Banyamulenge ethnic group. 

NAIROBI (14 MAY 2026)  – Christian communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been left unable to freely practice their faith following a series of targeted attacks that have destroyed churches and other religious sites. In a case filed at the East African Court of Justice, advocates are calling for DRC recognition of the damage inflicted during an attack on Banyamulenge Christian sites in the city of Uvira in January 2026, as well as compensation to rebuild places of worship that have been destroyed in these targeted attacks.  

The violence has not only resulted in loss of life and property, but has also undermined their ability to gather for worship. The destruction has left many without safe spaces for communal gathering, prayer, or religious community. 

“This is the often-overlooked aftermath of ethnic and religiously motivated violence. Beyond the immediate devastation, these attacks leave lasting scars on communities. In this case, these Christians from the Banyamulenge community in the DRC are now significantly hindered in their ability to worship, gather and live out their faith."

- Sean Nelson, Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International

“This is the often-overlooked aftermath of ethnic and religiously motivated violence,” said Sean Nelson, Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International. “Beyond the immediate devastation, these attacks leave lasting scars on communities. In this case, these Christians from the Banyamulenge community in the DRC are now significantly hindered in their ability to worship, gather and live out their faith.” 

The primary attack took place on 18 January 2026, when the DRC military and aligned militia groups recaptured the city of Uvira from M23 rebels who had occupied the city for months. However, members within the newly arrived forces then began deliberately destroying five Christian churches and other faith-based organisations held and used by the Banyamulenge community. The Banyamulenge are Congolese ethnic Tutsis that militant and radical ethnic Hutus have falsely accused of sympathy with foreign forces. Additionally, over 70 Banyamulenge homes were destroyed. These attacks were specifically carried out to destroy the central Christian religious pillars of the Banyamulenge in Uvira as a means of erasing their ethno-religious identity.  

Advocates are now calling on authorities in the DRC to take immediate action to halt further attacks and ensure the protection of vulnerable religious communities. ADF International is supporting the case before the court. The case was filed at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) on 11 March 2026 at the subregistry in Nairobi. The EACJ filing included affidavits from leaders and members of the Uvira church communities affected. 

“It is only right that the DRC acts swiftly to prevent further violence, takes responsibility and supports the reconstruction of destroyed churches and religious properties,” said Innocent Nteziryayo, named counsel for the churches and representatives for the Banyamulenge community before the East African Court of Justice. “Banyamulenge communities must be able to rebuild not only their homes, but also the churches and organizations that sustain their spiritual and communal life.” 

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Finnish Parliamentarian Convicted of “Insulting” a Group for 20-year-old Church Booklet to Appeal to European Court of Human Rights

  • Päivi Räsänen announces intention to appeal to Europe’s top human rights court following criminal conviction by Finnish Supreme Court for a decades-old church booklet expressing her beliefs on marriage and sexuality
  • ADF International to represent Räsänen in landmark case for free speech across Europe

HELSINKI (7 May 2026) – A longstanding Finnish parliamentarian criminally convicted in March for “insulting” a group by her country’s Supreme Court has announced that she will appeal her case to the European Court of Human Rights, in the final legal juncture for this critical case for free speech in Europe.

Päivi Räsänen was found guilty for expressing her beliefs about marriage and sexuality in a booklet she wrote for her church over 20 years ago. Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola and the Luther Foundation Finland were also convicted for publishing the booklet for the church.

They were criminally convicted under Finland’s 2011 “hate speech” law which prohibits “agitation against a minority group” under a section of the Finnish criminal code titled “war crimes and crimes against humanity”.

The appeal comes after the former Interior Minister’s nearly seven-year prosecution and unanimous acquittal by two lower courts in Finland. In March 2026, a mixed Supreme Court ruling acquitted Räsänen for her 2019 Bible verse tweet, but convicted her and Bishop Pohjola for “making and keeping available to the public a text that insults a group” in the 2004 church booklet on sexual ethics, according to a 3:2 majority.

Commenting on her decision to appeal, Räsänen said: “The failure of the Finnish Supreme Court to uphold freedom of speech has set a dangerous precedent in my country and across Europe. I feel it is my duty to appeal this decision, to reinstate respect for the basic human right that all are free to peacefully express their views in the public square.”

“I know I am not alone in facing unjust persecution under ‘hate speech’ laws that make sharing Christian beliefs a criminal offense. I make my appeal in the hope that the European Court of Human Rights will recognise that peacefully expressing one’s beliefs is never a crime, and ensure that this basic freedom is protected for all.”

Final chance for freedom to prevail

Räsänen, a long-serving parliamentarian, medical doctor, and grandmother of twelve, has been criminally prosecuted for nearly seven years for sharing her Christian beliefs about marriage and sexuality in a 2019 tweet and live radio debate, as well as for authoring the 2004 church booklet, for which she was charged alongside Bishop Pohjola and the Luther Foundation Finland.

In 2021, Räsänen was formally charged with “agitation against a minority group” under a section of the Finnish criminal code titled “war crimes and crimes against humanity”.

Following unanimous acquittals on all charges by two lower courts in 2022 and 2023, the state prosecutor appealed again to the Finnish Supreme Court regarding the tweet and church booklet. The case was heard in October 2025, and in March 2026 the Supreme Court upheld the acquittal for the Bible verse tweet, but convicted Räsänen and the Bishop for the 2004 booklet. The radio show charge was not appealed to the Supreme Court, so that acquittal stands.

The Supreme Court convicted Räsänen under a law that was introduced years after the booklet was published, and did so despite the court’s admission that the booklet “did not contain incitement to violence or comparable threat-like fomenting of hatred”.

In an alarming display of censorship, the Supreme Court fined Räsänen, Bishop Pohjola, and the Luther Foundation Finland several thousand Euros, and ruled that the condemned statements within the booklet must be “removed from public access and destroyed”.  

“The Supreme Court’s decision to convict myself and the Luther Foundation for publishing a booklet for our church was extremely disappointing,” added Bishop Pohjola. “As a Bishop, I have a responsibility to guide those under my pastoral care, and I am deeply concerned by the state’s extensive efforts to censor our publications and decide what can and cannot be taught by religious leaders to members of their own group.

“It is our intention to join Päivi Räsänen in appealing to the European Court of Human Rights in defence of our free speech and religious freedom rights, and those of everyone in Finland.”

An appeal to the European Court of Human Rights is the final legal opportunity for the conviction to be overturned, and marks a seminal moment for the fundamental right to free speech to be upheld in Finland and throughout Europe.

“Hate speech” laws enabling state censorship

Räsänen’s case has garnered significant international interest, with the prosecution’s extensive criticism of Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola’s beliefs provoking high-profile responses, including from the US State Department.

Senior Finnish officials also questioned the ruling: Justice Minister Leena Meri argued that the legislation is “not sufficiently precise and especially not predictable as required by the principle of legality in the criminal code,” adding that “it is very difficult for people to know what is prohibited and what is permitted”.

The judgment has exacerbated existing concerns about the precarious state of free speech across Europe, where vaguely worded “hate speech” laws are increasingly wielded to silence dissenting views.

The appeal of Räsänen, who will be represented by ADF International, has significant global implications for freedom of speech.

“The retroactive censorship of a 20-year-old booklet produced by and for a church community is among the most chilling developments in the ongoing attack on freedom of speech across Europe,” said Lorcán Price, legal counsel with ADF International, serving on Räsänen’s legal team.

“As subjective ‘hate speech’ laws are increasingly being used to silence and criminalise peaceful expression of beliefs, the European Court of Human Rights has a responsibility to decisively protect the freedom of expression that is necessary in a truly democratic society.

“The ‘hate speech’ laws used to convict Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola clearly contradict international human rights law regarding freedom of speech and freedom of religion. If such laws can be interpreted so broadly as to include a decades-old church booklet, how can anyone in Finland be certain that anything they have said, or will say, will not be prosecuted? It is imperative that the European Court of Human Rights clarify and protect these fundamental freedoms definitively.”

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Brazilian commentator under criminal investigation again for “transphobic” social media posts

  • Brazilian social media commentator Nine Borges has been summoned to appear before police on Feb. 25 following new investigation into her social media.
  • Borges’ case highlights government efforts in Brazil to censor peaceful online expression; ADF International supports her legal defence. 

BRASILIA (February 24, 2026) — Nine Borges, a Brazilian social media commentator, academic researcher, and British citizen, is now under a second police investigation in Brazil for “transphobic” social media posts. The investigations were opened after an anonymous complaint was filed, alleging that the content posted to Borges’ Instagram account is “discriminatory” and incites hatred and violence against “transgender” people.  

Borges who is currently being criminally investigated for a short Instagram video from September 2024 as well, now has been summoned to appear in a virtual hearing before the Federal Police of Minas Gerais tomorrow from her home in the UK. 

The new complaint further states that Borges issued “transphobic” comments on a popular Brazilian podcast, in which she explained biological facts about men and women, in addition to addressing the philosophical foundations of gender ideology. With a PhD in education, Borges regularly offers critiques of gender ideology and its negative implications for women and society at large. She is also the author of a book on the topic. 

If criminally charged on the basis of these investigations, the charges would carry a potential prison sentence of up to five years each. 

“If a researcher can’t discuss social theories and scientific facts anymore, it signals a profound crisis, one in which inquiry is subordinated to dogma. Facing a second police investigation for my opinions is deeply concerning, but I will not be intimidated into silence."

- Nine Borges

“If a researcher can’t discuss social theories and scientific facts anymore, it signals a profound crisis, one in which inquiry is subordinated to dogma. Facing a second police investigation for my opinions is deeply concerning, but I will not be intimidated into silence,” Borges stated. 

She added: “Peaceful speech, especially speech that is grounded in biological fact, should never be criminalized. This new investigation makes clear that we must urgently stand up and protect free speech in Brazil.” 

Julio Pohl, Legal Counsel, Latin America for ADF International, which is providing legal support to Borges throughout her criminal investigations stated: “With this second investigation, we see even more clearly what happens when you go against the prevailing orthodoxy in an authoritarian setting. Nine is a prolific online commentator and academic researcher, and now her content is being dredged up following an anonymous complaint and analyzed through a censorial lens even though it should in no way be deemed illegal. The harsh reality is that Nine could be criminally prosecuted, and face serious jail time, simply because some anonymous complainant took issue with her peaceful expression. 

“The censorship we see escalating in Brazil is extremely alarming. No one should fear prison time for stating biological facts or even just peacefully sharing their views online”

Background

Nine Borges is a UK-based academic researcher 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. Larrat filed a complaint over the video, prompting the Federal Police of Brasilia to open their first investigation into Nine’s online content.  

In August 2025, Borges received formal notice that she was being investigated for “transphobia” and “defamation,” prompting her summons to appear before police on October 7, 2025.  The following month, on November 5, police informed Borges that they would recommend moving the investigation forward to formal prosecution for “transphobia” and “misgendering” the LGBT Secretary—an official who self-describes as a “transvestite” and “prostitute.” Borges had used these same terms in her commentary, and police cited this as the basis for pursuing prosecution. ADF International is providing legal support to Borges as a result of the investigation. 

A 2019 ruling from Brazil’s Supreme Federal Tribunal established “transphobia” and “homophobia” as crimes, punishable with up to five years of jail time per count. Overstepping Congress, the Court created a crime without observing the legal and democratic process. Since then, numerous cases have emerged across Brazil in which individuals were charged with “transphobia” for simply sharing their beliefs.  

Most recently, Isadora Borges (not related to Nine Borges), a veterinary student in Brazil, has been criminally prosecuted for alleged “transphobic” comments made on X, with a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years. Her first hearing was held on February 10. In 2025, social media influencer Isabella Cepa faced criminal investigations for her online post about gender ideology. In another case, Assemblies of God Pastor Douglas Baptista faced criminal charges for authoring a book with a Christian view of sexuality. His case was legally supported by ADF International. Charges in both cases were dropped, but they remain evidence of the broader, chilling trend of government efforts in Brazil to censor peaceful online expression. 

Growing Pattern of Censorship in Brazil

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 the 2024 X ban in Brazil during the municipal elections period. Censorship in Brazil has been a persistent and escalating problem since 2019.  

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Finnish Parliamentarian on trial for Bible tweet testifies before U.S. Congress: “European censorship is a worldwide concern” 

Photo of Päivi Räsänen In the US House of Judiciary hearing

  • At House Judiciary Committee hearing, Parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen testifies about her six-year-long criminal prosecution for tweeting a Bible verse under Finnish “hate speech” law. 
  • An ADF International European legal expert further testified on the dangers of European online censorship, including through the EU Digital Services Act; in addition to Irish comedian Graham Linehan, who testified on his UK arrest for X posts. 
Photo of Päivi Räsänen In the US House of Judiciary hearing

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 4) – Today, experts from Europe delivered a warning to the U.S. Congress about the growing threat of European censorship to American free speech.

Finnish Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen addressed lawmakers in a hearing titled “Europe’s Threat to Speech and Innovation: Part II,” hosted by the House Judiciary Committee. In her testimony, she detailed her ongoing criminal prosecution in Finland for expressing her Christian beliefs online, including in a 2019 Bible-verse tweet. Räsänen’s case has become one of the most prominent examples of the criminalization of peaceful speech in Europe.  

“Speech that is lawful today can become criminalized tomorrow. This should concern every person that values freedom,” Räsänen said. “My case shows where this path can lead. Recent developments from the European Union, like the Digital Services Act, make European censorship a worldwide concern.” 

Prosecuted for over six years under a “hate speech” provision in the section of Finland’s criminal code pertaining to war crimes and crimes against humanity, Räsänen is currently awaiting a verdict from the Supreme Court of Finland. Her legal defence has been coordinated by ADF International. 

“When the state controls which ideas and beliefs may be expressed, democracy becomes fragile,” Räsänen added. 

“Speech that is lawful today can become criminalized tomorrow. This should concern every person that values freedom. My case shows where this path can lead. Recent developments from the European Union, like the Digital Services Act, make European censorship a worldwide concern."

- Päivi Räsänen

Lorcán Price, Irish barrister and Legal Counsel with ADF International, also testified before the Committee, outlining how the European Union is using online speech regulations such as the Digital Service Act to create a dangerous worldwide censorship regime. 

“It is now undeniable that the reach of the DSA is not just a European problem,” Price said in his testimony. “The Commission has fired the first shots in a global struggle over whether people can speak the truth and whether American companies including Google, Bing, and Meta are free to continue to drive Internet innovation or instead be forced to help Europe silence speech worldwide.” 

Price warned that the EU’s speech restrictions risk being exported globally, particularly through large online platforms that operate across borders, raising concerns for Americans whose lawful speech could be restricted through foreign censorship. 

He cited the DSA’s first major fine of €120 million against X, which was issued in December for alleged violations of transparency and user-protection obligations. 

“The enormous fines levied on X by the EU commission proved beyond all doubt that the EU means to strangle free speech by a systematic assault on US companies,” Price said. In his written testimony, he added, “While these penalties are the first that the EU has imposed under the provisions of the DSA, be under no illusions, they will not be the last.”  

Graham Lineham, an Irish comedian and writer who was arrested for his X posts in September 2025 in London, also provided a witness testimony on the panel. 

Background

The hearing follows a recent report from the House Judiciary Committe previous House Judiciary Committee session on the threat of Europe’s growing censorship, during which Price also testified, warning lawmakers that European censorship laws threaten free expression far beyond the European Union. The initial hearing focused largely on the EU’s Digital Services Act and its implications for Americans’ online speech. Most recently, The House Judiciary Committee warned about the DSA’s risks to American free speech in a new report “The Foreign Censorship Threat, Part II: Europe’s Decade-Long Campaign to Censor the Global Internet and How it Harms American Speech in the United States.” 

The DSA grants the European Commission broad authority to regulate content on large online platforms. While framed as an online safety measure, the law creates strong incentives for platforms to remove lawful speech through heavy fines, government oversight, and reliance on “trusted flaggers” to identify allegedly problematic content. Because major platforms operate globally, the DSA risks establishing a de facto worldwide censorship regime that affects users far beyond Europe. 

ADF International has been at the forefront of raising concerns about the DSA and defending individuals targeted under Europe’s expanding speech laws, including providing legal support in Räsänen’s case, which has drawn international attention as a warning of the erosion of fundamental freedoms.

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Finnish Parliamentarian on Trial for Bible Tweet to Testify Before U.S. Congress on Europe’s Growing Censorship Regime 

  • Finnish Parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen to testify at House Judiciary Committee hearing on her criminal prosecution for “hate speech,” joined by ADF International European legal expert 
  • Räsänen, prosecuted for over six years, is currently awaiting a verdict from the Supreme Court of Finland on criminal charges for tweeting a Bible verse in 2019 

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 30) – The U.S. House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing titled “Europe’s Threat to Speech and Innovation: Part II,” examining how European speech laws and censorship regimes are impacting free expression, innovation, and democratic debate. 

Witnesses, including Finnish Parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen and ADF International legal expert Lorcán Price, will warn lawmakers of Europe’s expanding speech restrictions, including criminal prosecutions for peaceful expression. These restrictions pose serious threats to fundamental freedoms and risk being exported beyond Europe to the United States. Graham Linehan, an Irish comedian who was arrested for his X posts in September 2025, will also serve as a witness on the panel.

Räsänen’s case has become one of Europe’s most prominent examples of the criminalization of speech, after she was criminally charged and put on trial for expressing her Christian beliefs online in a 2019 tweet. She is currently awaiting a verdict after facing criminal trial before the Supreme Court of Finland in October. 

Price will offer testimony regarding Europe’s censorship crisis and the European Union’s attack on free speech using the Digital Services Act (DSA), which is one of the most dangerous restrictions on free speech in the digital age. The House Judiciary Committee warned about the DSA’s risks to American free speech in its July report “The Foreign Censorship Threat: How the European Union’s Digital Services Act Compels Global Censorship and Infringes on American Free Speech”. 

When: 
Feb. 4, beginning at 10 a.m. EST 

Where: 
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C., and via livestream 

Media Attendance: 
Members of the media are encouraged to attend the hearing in person or view the livestream. Interviews with speakers may be requested in advance. 

To schedule interviews or for additional information, contact ADF International Communications Officer, Anna Rose Myrick at [email protected] or (480)-371-7941.

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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.” 

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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.

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.” 

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Pictured: Chris Elston, Lois McLatchie Miller

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.” 

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PICTURED: Rose Docherty, Lois McLatchie Miller