UK Army vet decries plan to prosecute him for ‘thoughtcrime’ of silent prayer
A United Kingdom Army veteran facing criminal charges for silently praying outside an abortion facility has released a statement warning others that their basic liberties are at risk.
Adam Smith-Connor received a fine in December 2022 for allegedly breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in Bournemouth. In a video of her interaction, she can be heard telling police she was standing there “praying for my son, who died.” Even though Smith-Connor’s actions were non-violent and non-confrontational, and he was just praying to himself, he now faces criminal charges for this action.
According to Alliance Defending Freedom UK, Smith-Connor paid for the abortion of her first child many years ago, before converting to Christianity. She now prays outside the abortion facility for her son and all children and mothers affected by abortion. He purposely prayed with his back to the facility, so as not to give any impression that he was trying to interact with women entering or leaving.
In August, Smith-Connor was formally charged with violating the “buffer zone” ordinance. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
“You might think it’s a story from Orwell’s 1984 – but in fact it’s happening in England in 2023,” Adam Smith-Connor said in a statement released on November 9. “Thought crimes should not be prosecuted in the UK.”
“Britain has a history of upholding human rights that we can be proud of, and a respect for freedom that I fought to uphold when I served this country for twenty years in the army reserves, including in Afghanistan,” he continued. he. “I fought to defend our freedoms – but now my own freedom of thought is at risk.”
“How can we send our troops to possibly make the ultimate sacrifice when at home, the police are arresting people for peacefully practicing their faith and offering charitable support to families in crisis?” he added. “This Sunday is Remembrance Sunday. We remember the war dead by upholding the freedoms they sacrificed. Sadly, today, we are in danger of dismantling the values for which they died.”
Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal adviser for ADF UK, said Smith-Connor was targeted simply because she told police she was praying for her dead son. “If Adam was thinking about an issue other than abortion — for example, climate change — then no issue would be raised here,” he said.
Smith-Connor’s next hearing was originally scheduled for November 16 but was postponed until January 18, 2024.
