US monitoring case of pastor arrested in abortion clinic buffer zone

The US government has said that it’s “monitoring” the “concerning” case of Clive Johnston, a 77-yaer-old pastor accused of breaching an abortion buffer zone in Northern Ireland.

Johnston was delivering an open-air sermon by the roadside inside the zone on a Sunday in 2024.

The sermon made no mention of abortion and was centred across the well-known Bible verse, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shouldn’t perish, but have everlasting life.”

Johnston’s trial is attributable to resume on Wednesday. If found guilty he may very well be fined as much as £2,500.

The US state department told The Telegraph, “The United States continues to be monitoring many buffer zone cases within the UK, in addition to other acts of censorship throughout Europe.

“The UK’s persecution of silent prayer represents not only an egregious violation of the fundamental right to free speech and spiritual liberty, but in addition a concerning departure from the shared values that should underpin US-UK relations.”

Last month, ahead of a scheduled hearing that was later postponed, Johnston thanked all those that had shown him support during his ordeal.

“I’m grateful for the type messages of support I actually have received from members of the general public each here and abroad, and for the prayers being offered as much as God about this case by many Christians,” he said. 

Previously, US Vice President JD Vance has spoken in defence of others charged under buffer zone laws.

Last 12 months on the on the Munich Security Conference Vance raised the case of Adam Smith-Connor, a military veteran who was convicted after praying silently inside a buffer zone in Bournemouth.

Vance has also referred to letters sent by the authorities in Scotland to homes inside abortion zones. While Vance was criticised for saying the letters warned residents against private prayer of their home, the text of the letters was ambiguous enough to go away this possibility open, stating: “In general, the offences apply in public places inside the Safe Access Zones. However, activities in a non-public place (comparable to a house) inside the area between the protected premises and the boundary of a Zone may very well be an offence in the event that they will be seen or heard inside the Zone and are done intentionally or recklessly.”

Indeed, the MSP who pushed for abortion buffer zones in Scotland, Gillian Mackay, confirmed to the BBC that non-public prayer by the window of a non-public home could fall foul of the law, depending on who’s passing the window on the time.