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Hi Friend,
Just weeks ago, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was declared NOT GUILTY by a judge in Birmingham, U.K., for praying silently on a public sidewalk.
You may have seen the viral clip of Isabel’s interrogation and arrest. She’s questioned by police, and her belongings are taken from her before she’s loaded in a police car and sent to a nearby station for questioning.
So why was she just arrested for praying again, and hauled away by six police officers while she was standing peacefully on a city sidewalk?
Isabel’s first arrest came after the introduction of "censorship zones" by
Birmingham authorities last fall, which criminalize individuals perceived to be "engaging in any act of approval or disapproval" in relation to abortion, including through "verbal or written means, prayer or counseling…"
Other pro-life advocates have come under threat for silently praying in censorship zones in the U.K. including Father Sean Gough, a Catholic priest, who was criminally charged.
This time, police clearly targeted Isabel because of who she is and what she believes as a Christian.
Isabel’s arrest and these censorship laws set a dangerous and radical precedent. Alliance Defending Freedom and our lawyers in the U.K. need your support to defend Isabel and the freedom for all to pray. Will you give your best gift today?
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In arresting Isabel a second time, it’s clear that Isabel’s pro-life views are being censored.
The police officer interrogating Isabel said that "it’s their perception of events that you’re protesting," which is what makes her guilty. He told her:
"You've said you're engaging in prayer, which is the offense."
"Silent prayer," Isabel said.
"You were still engaging in prayer, which is the offense."
After this interrogation, the six police officers arrested Isabel and took her away.
Our legal team in the U.K. supported Isabel’s defense after the first attack against her right to pray. They’re standing with her again.
But even after Isabel’s two unlawful arrests, the U.K. Parliament just passed a law rolling out censorship zones for all abortion facilities across England and Wales, outlawing even silent prayer and consensual conversation within 150 meters of abortion facilities throughout England and Wales.
Thoughtcrimes are now a reality in the U.K.
Prayer can NEVER be a crime, and there’s never been anything that punishes thinking in the history of the
U.K.
Through your support, we’re there to see that the right to live according to your convictions—and to pray—is upheld in England and beyond. Christians around the world are being silenced through cancel culture, brutal regimes, and censorious governments like Isabel’s.
When six police officers can interrogate and arrest Isabel for praying peacefully and silently on a city sidewalk, it puts everyone’s right to live out their faith in danger.
Prayer is not a thoughtcrime.
And as the Birmingham judge ruled, Isabel’s prayer is not illegal.
We need your help to continue defending free speech for all, globally. We won't back down to government threats or pressure, but we can only stand up to this oppressive overreach with your help. Your best gift today will help ensure the basic, God-given right to pray is protected.
Will you give?
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