{"id":21127,"date":"2023-08-04T07:18:26","date_gmt":"2023-08-04T07:18:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adf.uk\/?p=11276"},"modified":"2024-01-26T12:45:20","modified_gmt":"2024-01-26T11:45:20","slug":"silent-prayer-on-trial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial","title":{"rendered":"Local council prosecute army veteran over silent prayer in unexpected U-Turn"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\" data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;-&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Bournemouth authorities criminally charge Adam Smith-Connor for silently praying in abortion facility \u201cbuffer zone\u201d &#8211; hearing 9<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><span data-fontsize=\"16\">th<\/span><\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> August<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\" data-leveltext=\"-\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;-&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Authorities failed to notify Smith-Connor, whose legal defense is supported by ADF UK, of the charge until two months after it was filed<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">BOURNEMOUTH, UK (4<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">th<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> August 2023)<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> \u2013 Local authorities have filed criminal charges against Adam Smith-Connor, the army veteran and father fined for praying silently within an abortion facility censorship zone or \u201cbuffer zone\u201d.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Smith-Connor&#8217;s first hearing will take place in the Poole Magistrates<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u2019<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Court on 9<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">th<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> August. He is expected to enter a plea of \u201cnot guilty\u201d, and the Court to set the date for his trial. His legal defense is supported by ADF UK.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201c<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Nobody should be prosecuted for silent prayer. It is unfathomable that in an apparently free society, I am being criminally charged on the basis of what I expressed silently, in the privacy of my own mind. I served for 20 years in the army reserves, including a tour in Afghanistan, to protect the fundamental freedoms that this country is built upon. I continue that spirit of service as a health care professional and church volunteer. It troubles me greatly to see our freedoms eroded to the extent that thoughtcrimes are now being prosecuted in the UK,\u201d<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\"> said Adam Smith-Connor, upon the news of his prosecution.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:330}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Smith-Connor was issued a fixed penalty notice on 13<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">th<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> December 2022. The notice detailed that he had been \u201c<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">praying for his deceased son\u201d <\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">a month earlier on 24<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">th<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> November 2022 near an abortion facility on Orphir Road in Bournemouth where an abortion facility censorship zone or \u201cbuffer zone\u201d is in place.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:330}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Supporters of freedom of thought are invited to join ADF UK in backing Adam&#8217;s legal defense, as well as the defense of others facing penalties for praying silently or expressing their faith in the public square: www.adf.uk\/support-adam\/<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">VIEW THE EXCHANGE BETWEEN ADAM SMITH-CONNOR AND COUNCIL OFFICERS REGARDING HIS SILENT PRAYER:<\/p>\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-container brlbs-cmpnt-content-blocker brlbs-cmpnt-with-individual-styles\" data-borlabs-cookie-content-blocker-id=\"youtube-content-blocker\" data-borlabs-cookie-content=\"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\">\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-preset-c brlbs-cmpnt-cb-youtube\">\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-thumbnail\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/borlabs-cookie\/1\/yt_hjUphe7mktE_hqdefault.jpg')\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-main\">\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-play-button\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-content\">\n<p class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-description\">You are currently viewing a placeholder content from <strong>YouTube<\/strong>. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-provider-toggle\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-show-provider-information role=\"button\">More Information<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-buttons\"> <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-btn\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-unblock role=\"button\">Unblock content<\/a> <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-btn\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-accept-service role=\"button\" style=\"display: inherit\">Accept required service and unblock content<\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Smith-Connor, who now regrets having paid for an abortion for his ex-girlfriend in the past, was praying about his experience, about the son whom he lost, and for the men and women facing difficult decisions about abortion today. He prayed with his back to the facility to avoid any impression of approaching or engaging with\u00a0 women using the facility.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:330}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cIt\u2019s unthinkable that I was issued a penalty simply for praying for my son, Jacob, whom I lost to an abortion I paid for. The decision I made all those years ago now grieves me deeply. I was praying also for those contemplating abortion, especially those in vulnerable situations who believe abortion is their \u201conly choice\u201d. It isn\u2019t for the authorities to determine the contents of my thoughts on this matter, on a public street\u201d, <\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">said Adam Smith-Connor.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:1,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:330}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">A Staggering U-Turn<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The Bournemouth, Christchurch &amp; Poole (BCP) Council issued a charge against Smith-Connor on 12<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">th<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> May 2023. Despite the Council being legally required to notify Smith-Connor of the summons as soon as possible, they did not do so, nor did they engage in any other form of communication with him until 19<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">th<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> July 2023 \u2013 eight weeks after the elapse of the statutory time-limit for charging him, and almost ten weeks after the charge was issued.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Smith-Connor was not brought in for questioning throughout the eight-month period which the council had to gather evidence. Had he been questioned under caution, he would have had an opportunity to give an account of his actions and entitled to legal representation.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">The charges brought by the Council come as a surprise, given that in a filmed encounter with police on another occasion in which Smith-Connor had silently prayed in the same spot, officers had informed him that he was not breaking the law, remarking, \u201c<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">this is England and it\u2019s a public place and you\u2019re entitled to do that.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-container brlbs-cmpnt-content-blocker brlbs-cmpnt-with-individual-styles\" data-borlabs-cookie-content-blocker-id=\"youtube-content-blocker\" data-borlabs-cookie-content=\"PGlmcmFtZSB0aXRsZT0iQ29tbW9uIFNlbnNlIFBvbGljaW5nIGluIHRoZSBVSyBSZWdhcmRpbmcgU2lsZW50IFByYXllciBXaXRoaW4gQ2Vuc29yc2hpcCBab25lIiB3aWR0aD0iNTAwIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjI4MSIgc3JjPSJodHRwczovL3d3dy55b3V0dWJlLW5vY29va2llLmNvbS9lbWJlZC9KZzhNdkRxcGpIOD9mZWF0dXJlPW9lbWJlZCIgZnJhbWVib3JkZXI9IjAiIGFsbG93PSJhY2NlbGVyb21ldGVyOyBhdXRvcGxheTsgY2xpcGJvYXJkLXdyaXRlOyBlbmNyeXB0ZWQtbWVkaWE7IGd5cm9zY29wZTsgcGljdHVyZS1pbi1waWN0dXJlOyB3ZWItc2hhcmUiIHJlZmVycmVycG9saWN5PSJzdHJpY3Qtb3JpZ2luLXdoZW4tY3Jvc3Mtb3JpZ2luIiBhbGxvd2Z1bGxzY3JlZW4+PC9pZnJhbWU+\">\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-preset-c brlbs-cmpnt-cb-youtube\">\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-thumbnail\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/borlabs-cookie\/1\/yt_Jg8MvDqpjH8_hqdefault.jpg')\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-main\">\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-play-button\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-content\">\n<p class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-description\">You are currently viewing a placeholder content from <strong>YouTube<\/strong>. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-provider-toggle\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-show-provider-information role=\"button\">More Information<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-buttons\"> <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-btn\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-unblock role=\"button\">Unblock content<\/a> <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-btn\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-accept-service role=\"button\" style=\"display: inherit\">Accept required service and unblock content<\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201c<\/span><\/i><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In permitting the prosecution of silent prayer, we are sailing into dangerous waters regarding human rights protections in the UK. Censorship zones are inherently wrong and engender unhelpful legal confusion regarding the right to free thought. Both domestic and international law have long established freedom of thought as an absolute right that must not ever be interfered with by the state,\u201d<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> said Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal counsel for ADF UK, the organisation supporting Adam Smith-Connor&#8217;s legal defense.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIn various other circumstances, the police and the courts have made it clear that silent prayer is not a criminal act. And yet, BCP Council has introduced a rights-restricting censorship zone, which they now argue extends to a ban on silent prayer. The zone was created by the Council, enforced by the Council and now also prosecuted by the Council. This is a remarkable consolidation of power, making the council the judge, jury, and executioner.<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This case has no place in a country with a historical and proud commitment to the rule of law. The Code for Crown Prosecutors requires prosecutors to be even-handed in their approach to every case, and to protect the rights of suspects and defendants \u2013 a duty which has been ignored at every stage by the Council, which has not only shown itself to be incapable of impartiality, but also failed to grasp the gravity of inaugurating thoughtcrime trials in the UK,&#8221; <\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">continued Igunnubole.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Thoughtcrime on Trial?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Smith-Connor&#8217;s case will mark the third in a series of high-profile cases in which citizens have been tried in court for praying silently in their heads within abortion facility \u201cbuffer zones\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">In March, charitable volunteer Isabel Vaughan-Spruce and Catholic priest Father Sean Gough, were both found \u201cnot guilty\u201d after facing criminal charges for similar actions to Smith-Connor. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/adf.uk\/not-guilty\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Read more.<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Though being found \u201cnot guilty\u201d of breaching the censorship zone or \u201cbuffer zone\u201d with her thoughts, Vaughan-Spruce was arrested a second time in March after she prayed silently in the same spot near the abortion facility once again. Six police officers attended the scene. Vaughan-Spruce was released on bail and awaits a decision on her charge, five months after West Midlands Police began their investigation.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Five councils across the UK currently have active \u201cbuffer zones\u201d or censorship zones banning prayer and offers of charitable help to women on the public streets near abortion facilities.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">On March 7, <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">the UK parliament passed legislation that will roll out censorship zones across the country, which could be interpreted to ban silent prayer. As a result, there may be many more attempts to prosecute those who pray, or offer support services to women in need, near abortion facilities.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bournemouth authorities criminally charge Adam Smith-Connor for silently praying in abortion facility \u201cbuffer zone\u201d &#8211; hearing date set for 9th August.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":22874,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[736],"tags":[942,899,898],"class_list":["post-21127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-adam","tag-free-speech-en-gb","tag-uk-en-gb"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Local council prosecute army veteran over silent prayer in unexpected U-Turn - ADF International<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Bournemouth authorities criminally charge Adam Smith-Connor for silently praying in abortion facility \u201cbuffer zone\u201d - hearing 9th August\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Local council prosecute army veteran over silent prayer in unexpected U-Turn\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Bournemouth authorities criminally charge Adam Smith-Connor for silently praying in abortion facility \u201cbuffer zone\u201d - hearing 9th August.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ADF International\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/adfinternational\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-04T07:18:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-01-26T11:45:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Karte.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"981\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Philipp Bues\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Local council prosecute army veteran over silent prayer in unexpected U-Turn\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Bournemouth authorities criminally charge Adam Smith-Connor for silently praying in abortion facility \u201cbuffer zone\u201d - hearing 9th August\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Karte.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@adfintl\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@adfintl\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Philipp Bues\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/news\\\/silent-prayer-on-trial#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/news\\\/silent-prayer-on-trial\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Philipp Bues\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6b776fc8535453c6aad8a6f9d78e6141\"},\"headline\":\"Local council prosecute army veteran over silent prayer in unexpected U-Turn\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-04T07:18:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-01-26T11:45:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/news\\\/silent-prayer-on-trial\"},\"wordCount\":1107,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/news\\\/silent-prayer-on-trial#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/ADAM-PRAYING-scaled-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Adam\",\"free speech\",\"UK\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/news\\\/silent-prayer-on-trial\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/news\\\/silent-prayer-on-trial\",\"name\":\"Local council prosecute army veteran over silent prayer in unexpected U-Turn - ADF International\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/news\\\/silent-prayer-on-trial#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/news\\\/silent-prayer-on-trial#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/ADAM-PRAYING-scaled-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-04T07:18:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-01-26T11:45:20+00:00\",\"description\":\"Bournemouth authorities criminally charge Adam Smith-Connor for silently praying in abortion facility \u201cbuffer zone\u201d - hearing 9th August\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/news\\\/silent-prayer-on-trial#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/news\\\/silent-prayer-on-trial\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/news\\\/silent-prayer-on-trial#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/ADAM-PRAYING-scaled-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/ADAM-PRAYING-scaled-1.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/news\\\/silent-prayer-on-trial#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Local council prosecute army veteran over silent prayer in unexpected U-Turn\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/\",\"name\":\"ADF International\",\"description\":\"Protecting Fundamental Freedoms. Promoting Inherent Dignity.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Alliance Defending Freedom International\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/08\\\/ADF_Intl_R_RGB_175px.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/08\\\/ADF_Intl_R_RGB_175px.png\",\"width\":175,\"height\":106,\"caption\":\"Alliance Defending Freedom International\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/facebook.com\\\/adfinternational\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/adfintl\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/adfinternational\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/adfinternational\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6b776fc8535453c6aad8a6f9d78e6141\",\"name\":\"Philipp Bues\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/Philipp-Bues-Headshot-150x150.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/Philipp-Bues-Headshot-150x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/Philipp-Bues-Headshot-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Philipp Bues\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/author\\\/pbuesadfinternational-org\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Local council prosecute army veteran over silent prayer in unexpected U-Turn - ADF International","description":"Bournemouth authorities criminally charge Adam Smith-Connor for silently praying in abortion facility \u201cbuffer zone\u201d - hearing 9th August","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Local council prosecute army veteran over silent prayer in unexpected U-Turn","og_description":"Bournemouth authorities criminally charge Adam Smith-Connor for silently praying in abortion facility \u201cbuffer zone\u201d - hearing 9th August.","og_url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial","og_site_name":"ADF International","article_publisher":"https:\/\/facebook.com\/adfinternational","article_published_time":"2023-08-04T07:18:26+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-01-26T11:45:20+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2000,"height":981,"url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Karte.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Philipp Bues","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Local council prosecute army veteran over silent prayer in unexpected U-Turn\u201d","twitter_description":"Bournemouth authorities criminally charge Adam Smith-Connor for silently praying in abortion facility \u201cbuffer zone\u201d - hearing 9th August","twitter_image":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Karte.jpg","twitter_creator":"@adfintl","twitter_site":"@adfintl","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Philipp Bues","Estimated reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial"},"author":{"name":"Philipp Bues","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#\/schema\/person\/6b776fc8535453c6aad8a6f9d78e6141"},"headline":"Local council prosecute army veteran over silent prayer in unexpected U-Turn","datePublished":"2023-08-04T07:18:26+00:00","dateModified":"2024-01-26T11:45:20+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial"},"wordCount":1107,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/ADAM-PRAYING-scaled-1.jpg","keywords":["Adam","free speech","UK"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial","url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial","name":"Local council prosecute army veteran over silent prayer in unexpected U-Turn - ADF International","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/ADAM-PRAYING-scaled-1.jpg","datePublished":"2023-08-04T07:18:26+00:00","dateModified":"2024-01-26T11:45:20+00:00","description":"Bournemouth authorities criminally charge Adam Smith-Connor for silently praying in abortion facility \u201cbuffer zone\u201d - hearing 9th August","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/ADAM-PRAYING-scaled-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/ADAM-PRAYING-scaled-1.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/silent-prayer-on-trial#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Local council prosecute army veteran over silent prayer in unexpected U-Turn"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#website","url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/","name":"ADF International","description":"Protecting Fundamental Freedoms. Promoting Inherent Dignity.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#organization","name":"Alliance Defending Freedom International","url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ADF_Intl_R_RGB_175px.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ADF_Intl_R_RGB_175px.png","width":175,"height":106,"caption":"Alliance Defending Freedom International"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/facebook.com\/adfinternational","https:\/\/x.com\/adfintl","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/adfinternational","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/adfinternational\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#\/schema\/person\/6b776fc8535453c6aad8a6f9d78e6141","name":"Philipp Bues","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Philipp-Bues-Headshot-150x150.jpg","url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Philipp-Bues-Headshot-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Philipp-Bues-Headshot-150x150.jpg","caption":"Philipp Bues"},"url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/author\/pbuesadfinternational-org"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21127"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21127\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}