US commission condemns UK silent prayer arrest as targeting ‘religious expression’

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has condemned the arrest of a woman for praying silently near an abortion clinic in the United Kingdom.

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested twice last year, for praying silently in the “buffer zone” of an abortion clinic – an area that prohibits protests, including prayer.

She was initially accused of “engaging in an act of intimidation towards service users”, before being later acquitted at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court.

The USCIRF 2024 report highlighted the arrest as an example of European governments “targeting individuals for their peaceful religious expression.”

Responding to the report, Vaughan-Spruce said: “The arrest of individuals for silent prayer has put Britain in a position of global embarrassment.

“No one should be criminalized for their mere thoughts – that is a fundamental principle of a liberal democracy. If we can’t achieve this at home, how are we supposed to uphold human rights on the global stage ?”

Catholic priest Father Sean Gough was also charged for holding a sign reading “pray for freedom of speech” inside a buffer zone.

Gough and Vaughan-Spruce were acquitted with legal support from ADF UK.

Draft guidelines published by the Interior Ministry in December clarified that silent prayer and consensual conversations within zones would not be prohibited.

In response, MPs from all parties expressed concern that these exceptions could lead to vulnerable women using abortion services feeling harassed.

The UK Home Office is expected to publish updated guidance on policing “buffer zones” shortly.

Vaughan-Spruce called on the government to make clear that “all harassment be condemned” while defending the right to “freedom of thought and consensual conversation”.