US condemns UK for praying woman’s abortion clinic arrest
by Tony Diver, Telegraph;
Government agency dedicated to protecting religious freedom has included incident in list of international violations.
A US government agency has condemned the UK for “targeting religious expression” over the arrest of a woman who prayed silently in an abortion clinic “buffer zone”.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom included the arrest of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, an anti-abortion campaigner, in Birmingham last year in its annual list of violations of religious freedom around the world.
Ms Vaughan-Spruce said she had been targeted for “thought crime” after she was arrested for praying silently outside an abortion clinic in March 2023.
A video posted online showed six officers remonstrating with her in front of a British Pregnancy Advisory Services clinic that was subject to a “buffer zone” order. She was not carrying a placard and did not say anything about abortion procedures aloud.
West Midlands Police later released her without charge and apologised.
The incident was highlighted in the annual report from the commission, an independent agency that makes recommendations on protecting religious freedom.
Read here (£)
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