All cases

Dutch Council of State Opinion: "Conversion Therapy" Banns Violate Religious Freedom

January 30, 2023, Netherlands

One year after a group of MPs proposed a Bill in the Netherlands to ban "conversion therapies" (February 2022), the Dutch Council of State declared that the proposed bill would be a violation of religious freedom. The proposed bill aimed to impose a fine of up to 22,500€ and a year of prison for anyone found guilty of offering conversion therapies. But in a recent opinion, the Council announced that there was no clear way to differentiate between actual victims of coercion and participants who chose such a practice voluntarily, emphasizing that intrusive forms of "conversion therapy" and coercion are already prohibited by the existing laws.

House of Lords Passes Buffer Zone Amendment That Turns Prayer into "Thought Crime"

January 30, 2023, United Kingdom

On the 30th of January, the House of Lords passed an amendment that introduces fines for citizens found guilty of “influencing any person’s decision to access, provide or facilitate the provision of abortion services” within 150 metres of these service facilities. The amendment made to the Public Order Bill was tabled by Conservative peer Baroness Suggs.

Street Preacher in Scotland wins Case After Being Wrongfully arrested for alleged "Hate Speech"

January 13, 2023, United Kingdom

Mr Angus Cameron, the Pastor of Cumnock Baptist Church, has now received £5,500 for his unlawful detention by the Police, as well as £9,400 for the legal costs. Mr Cameron decided to donate all of his compensation to The Christian Institute, an NGO that supported him throughout this legal case. Mr Cameron was handcuffed and arrested by the police back in 2020, for "breach of the peace with homophobic aggravation". He was contacted by the police a few days later and told that he would not be prosecuted, but a non-crime hate incident had been filed. Mr Cameron then sought assistance from the Christian Institute.

Birmingham charity worker arrested for praying 'in her mind' near an abortion facility

December 20, 2022, United Kingdom

ADF UK reported that a charity volunteer has been arrested and charged with four counts after telling the police that she “might” be praying silently in her mind, after being questioned by them over why she was standing inside an abortion facility’s censorship zone. The arrest and charges took place as authorities consider criminalising prayer near abortion facilities nationwide in the new Public Order Bill.

Greek football star will appeal prison sentence for Controversial Social Media Post

November 14, 2022, Greece

The former football player Vasilios Tsiartas was sentenced this November to 10 months in prison for a comment made on Facebook in 2017 where he stated that “God created Adam and Eve” in response to a bill for the redefinition of gender identity. On his Twitter account, he has stated that he will appeal the sentence.

Norwegian Christian Prayer channel Blocked by YouTube

November 8, 2022, Norway

CNE News reports that YouTube has banned a Norwegian prayer channel called "Kanal 10 'We pray for you'" for allegedly violating the social media guidelines under the category of "online spam, deceptive practices and fraud." Øyvind Rygg, the general manager of Kanal 10, says there are also no economic interests in the program. "We were told last week Monday that if we continued to broadcast the prayer program, YouTube would block us. That means that they are ending our entire channel on YouTube", told Rygg to Dagen.

UK street preacher found not guilty of "hate speech"

November 2, 2022, United Kingdom

Christian Concern reports that Shaun O’Sullivan, a Christian preacher who was arrested for criticising Muhammad and Buddha, has been found not guilty following a court hearing. O’Sullivan was arrested in Swindon Town Centre on 11 March 2020, for alleged ‘hate speech’ and for causing "harassment, alarm and distress."

UK: Prayers and activism banned on buffer zone around Bournemouth abortion clinic

October 14, 2022, United Kingdom

A buffer zone was implemented outside the BPAS clinic in Bournemouth in a bid to deter people from praying or standing with pro-life signs outside the clinic. Anyone that fails to accept the decision could incur a fixed penalty notice of £100 or face court action. Buffer zones have been widely discussed, due to their limitation of freedom of assembly and freedom of expression.

ECHR acquits woman that desecrated a Paris Church simulating an abortion of Christ and Urinating on the Altar

October 13, 2022, European Institutions (EU, ECHR, et.al.)

The European Court of Human Rights has recently concluded that Eloïse Bouton, a "Femen" member who performed a topless act simulating an abortion of Christ by the Virgin Mary in front of the altar and tabernacle of La Madeleine Church in Paris in 2013, has to be compensated. She had been sentenced by the French court to a one-month suspended prison and 2,000 euro fine for "sexual exhibition". She had also desecrated the altar of the church with urination and anti-Christian slogans and symbolism. With this ruling, a dangerous record of precedents is being created that will only encourage more blasphemous attacks on Christians.

Russia: Two priests on trial for opposing the war in Ukraine

October 10, 2022, Russia

Two Russian Orthodox hieromonks (monks who are also priests in the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholicism) had criminal cases opened against them for opposing the Russian invasion of Ukraine on religious grounds. Forum 18 is following the cases and reports that Fr Nikandr Pinchuk's first full trial hearing in Sverdlovsk Oblast is due on 17 October, while Fr Ioann Kurmoyarov, who is in pre-trial detention since early June, has his trial on 14 November in St Petersburg.