All cases

Filtered by: Freedom of Expression

Government Proposed to Ban Pro-Life Campaigns In Front Of Abortion Hospitals

June 15, 2020, Ireland

In Ireland, the Government proposed creating "free access zones", where pro-life campaigners would not be allowed to stand in front of Hospitals and Abortion centers. Pro Life Campaigner Eilis Mulroy criticises the intended introduction of censorship zones. He claims that these exclusion zones go against freedom of speech and peaceful protests. Also, the Pro-Life movement criticizes the absence of meaningful support or interest in providing other alternatives to abortion in the draft Program for the Government.

Draft Law on Homophobia and Transphobia Could Criminalize Biblical Teaching

June 10, 2020, Italy

The Italian Bishops are speaking against a new legislation proposed against "homotransphobia" by Zan-Scalfarotto, as it could criminalize the Church's teaching on homosexuality and censor the preaching against other sexual pathologies. The Bishops argue that there are already laws that protect every human being from discrimination and violence. The law could lead to "criminalization of opinion".

LGBT Activist Organization Accused Christian Pro-Life Moment of Hate Speech

May 25, 2020, Italy

The Pro-Life organisation has been accused of Hate Speech for collecting signatures against the new Homo and Transphobic law. The fear is that Christian institutions, organisations, or Christians themselves, particularly those who are against abortion or homosexual marriage, could be sanctioned up to four years of imprisonment. This could, therefore, lead to restriction of freedom of expression and speech.

Abortion Images Banned After Pro-Life Campaign in Town Square

May 6, 2020, United Kingdom

On 6th May, a judge ruled that the display of abortion images was a visual equivalent of "shouting into a person's face", and was, therefore, right to ban it. The pro-life organizer Mr. Hacking was given a community protection notice forbidding him the display of large photos of a fetus. The reasons were that people felt distressed and emotionally, mentally or even physically harmed through the images of the aborted fetus. Mr. Hacking said, that the real victim isn't the viewer who is negatively impacted by the visualization, but rather the unborn child.

Priest Fined and Arrested For Processioning a Crucifix Alone

April 6, 2020, Italy

On April 6, a the Priest Father Domenico Cirigliano was fined and arrested for 14 days by the police, as he was carrying the miraculous Crucifix from the Church of Blessed Virgin Mary in Rocca Imperiale. He was doing a personal procession through the streets, keeping enough distance from other individuals and his assistant. The Father had told the parishioners he would bless the city in this form of reduced procession. The police reported the act as public departure, not motivated by employment, need or health reasons and had made a demonstration or religious act affecting the streets. In other cities the processions were allowed by the civil authorities.

British Supreme Court Rejects Hearing Ms. Dulgheriu`s Case against Prayer Ban

March 12, 2020, United Kingdom

When Alina Dulgheriu got pregnant she received help from a now-banned pro-life group in front of an abortion centre. She now fights against a Public Protection Order (PSPO), which prohibits any kind of pro-life activity including peaceful protests, the offer of counseling and silent prayer within 100-meters around an abortion facility in the London Borough of Ealing. But the British Supreme Court has now announced that it will not hear appeal on clinic buffer zone. She is now considering all her options including an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Madrid Municipality Threatens an Evangelical Church with Sanctions for Carrying out alleged Conversion Therapies

March 3, 2020, Spain

According to the Spanish Ministry, they will consider imposing "significant sanctions" on an Evangelical church in Madrid that exceeds 20,000 euros. In this church, therapies to cure homosexuality were offered and carried out. Now it is to be examined whether the church has thereby violated the Spanish LGBTQ law. "We will not tolerate any regression in our society and in what we have in our hands, which is to impose sanctions, we will not shake hands, we will not take a step back in the fight against LGTBIphobic behaviour," said Alberto Reyero, Minister of Social Policies.

MP Interviewed by Police for Questioning Church Leadership

March 2, 2020, Finland

On March 2nd, member of the Finnish Parliament Päivi Räsänen faced a police interrogation because of a tweet she posted in June 2019. The tweet was directed at the leadership of her church and questioned its official sponsorship of the LGBT event “Pride 2019”, accompanied by an image of a bible text.

Vandalism and Boycott from Airline Towards Chocolate Läderach for Christian Values

January 29, 2020, Switzerland

After ten years of cooperation, Swiss Airlines terminated their cooperation in November 2019 with the chocolate manufacturer Läderach. The reason was their concerns about Läderach belonging to a Christian community. To elaborate, Jürg and Johannes Läderach are members of the board of Christianity for Today (Cft) in Kaltbrunn, Canton St. Gallen. Cft is a supporting organization of the "March for Life", which fights against abortion.The manufacturer was accused of fighting against abortion and homosexuals. After Swiss boycott of Läderach and great financial loss, they had to dismiss numerous employees, some of whom had been with the company for ten years. The manufacturer has repeatedly subject of massive criticism and vandal attacks on seven of their branches.

Judge Investigated For Anti-Christian Bias in Trial Agains Christian Nurse

January 27, 2020, United Kingdom

On the 27th January, the investigation of the judge Martin Kurrein for anti-christian bias has been re-opened. The judge approved the dismissal of the nurse Sara Kuteh for talking about her faith to her patients. The trial of Mrs.Kuteh took place in 2017, where the judge was accused of having a hostile treatment to Mrs. Kuteh and her representative and dramatically reduced the time of procedure.

Police ‘Transphobia’ Investigation Breached The Right to Freedom of Expression

January 25, 2020, United Kingdom

On the 25th January, a discussion started after Harry Miller, an ex-policeman, was called by the Humberside Police to check about some complaints about his posts on Twitter. In one Tweet he questioned if transgender women would be real women. The police officer had to "check the thinking", although he had committed no crime. After being reported as a "hate incident", Miller sued the police for breaching free speech. The court declared the intervention of the police "unlawful" in February.

Catholic Speaker Cancelled at Irish Schools

January 12, 2020, Ireland

Four talks by US Catholic speaker Jason Evert were cancelled due to pressure by campus LGBT groups and media reports referring to the well-known chastity speaker as "homophobic and anti-contraceptive." Presentations at two Dublin colleges, a Catholic conference called ‘Ignite 2020,’ and a talk at hotel were cancelled. According to reports, the University College Dublin LGBT Society called on the university authorities to stop Mr Evert from speaking, saying in a statement that his proposed visit to the university was “putting the safety of UCD’s LGBTQ+ community at risk” and his words could have “lasting and damaging effects on the mental wellbeing of LGHBTQ+ students.”

Researcher Who Lost job for Tweeting ‘Men Cannot Change into Women’ Loses Employment Tribunal

December 18, 2019, United Kingdom

On December 18th, a judge in an employment tribunal ruled against Maya Forstater, a tax expert at the Centre for Global Development, who defended her right to say on social media that men cannot become ‘women’ by undergoing gender reassignment treatment. Employment Judge Taylor ruled that her belief that biological sex cannot be changed “did not have the protected characteristic of a philosophical belief.” She had tweeted that “men cannot change into women” as part of an argument about the government’s proposed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act. This was not deemed a "protected belief" under the Equality Act 2010.

Pastor Sues After Being Forced out of job and Harassed over Pride Tweet

December 1, 2019, United Kingdom

A Christian pastor and school caretaker, who received abuse and threats for a June 2019 tweet about LGBTQ Pride has taken legal action against the school which he felt forced to leave. His case was heard on Court on January 2022.

High Court Permanently Bans Protests against "No Outsiders" School Programme

November 26, 2019, United Kingdom

A High Court judge ruled in favor of an exclusion zone around a school in Birmingham permanent, preventing parents from protesting outside the grounds against the "No Outsiders" primary school programme that teaches about LGBT relationships. Many parents and activists claim the programme contradicts their faith and is not "age appropriate." A temporary exclusion zone was first imposed by the courts in the summer after months of protests outside Anderton Park Primary School by mostly Muslim parents. Birmingham City Council claimed that the order was sought from the courts over safety concerns.

French Nun Denied a Place in Retirement Home Due to Religious Habit

November 19, 2019, France

In October 2018, an elderly nun applied for a place in a retirement home in Vesoul, run by the city's Centre Communal d'Action Sociale (CCAS) in her home prefecture of Haute-Saone. After nine months on the waiting list, on July 2019, her request for housing was accepted, but with one condition: "With due respect for secularism, any ostentatious sign of belonging to a religious community cannot be accepted in order to ensure the serenity of all. Indeed, religion is a private affair and must remain so." The nun was told she could only wear a discreet cross. Having worn her religious habit all of her adult life, she refused to comply and was thus denied a place.

Second investigation: Finnish Christian MP investigated for 2004 pamphlet on homosexuality

November 5, 2019, Finland

On November 4th, the Finnish State General Prosecutor issued a press release announcing the launch of a pre-trial investigation into the publication and distribution of the 2004 pamphlet "Mieheksi ja naiseksi hän heidät loi" (in English, “Male and female He created them”), authored by Päivi Räsänen, the Finnish politician investigated by the police for a tweet in June 2019 quoting the Bible on the issue of homosexuality. Although the pamphlet was printed 15 years ago, it will be included in the case against the Christian politician because it is still “available online.” Räsänen, who served in the past as Minister of the Interior of the government of Finland, risks being accused under Section 10 of the Criminal Code of Finland for “ethnic agitation,” a crime punishable with a fine or prison.

Victory for Christian Refugees at European Court of Human Rights

November 5, 2019, France

Victory in international court bolsters protections for Christians who face life-threatening persecution in home countries.

Safety Fears for Iranian Convert to Christianity Facing Threat of Deportation

October 4, 2019, Germany

An Iranian Christian woman living in the state of Hesse in Germany fears for her life if she is forced to return to Iran, due to strict anti-conversion laws. The woman known as "Mahsa" fled Iran and traveled to Germany in 2015, after an attempted arrest by the religious police for her conversion to Christianity. A recent decision by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) denying her asylum limits Mahsa's options going forward.

Tribunal Rules Biblical View of Sexes "Incompatible with Human Dignity"

October 2, 2019, United Kingdom

A Christian doctor has lost an employment tribunal case, where he alleged that the Department of Work and Pensions breached his freedom of thought, conscience and religion pursuant to the Equality Act. Disability assessor, Dr. David Mackereth claimed discrimination on part of the Department of Work and Pensions for failing to accommodate his refusal to use pronouns which did not correspond with the biological sex of clients. In its decision, the panel stated that Dr. Mackereth's belief that "the Bible teaches us that God made humans male or female" was "incompatible with human dignity."