A United States federal government commission has criticised the arrest of a woman for praying silently outside an abortion clinic in the UK its annual international report.
The commission highlighted the case of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a Catholic pro-life campaigner, who was arrested twice for praying silently outside an abortion clinic in Birmingham last year.
During one of the arrests Vaughan-Spruce was asked by a police officer, "are you praying for the lives of unborn children?".
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) was established as part of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), which mandates that U.S. policy includes condemning violations of religious freedom abroad and assisting foreign governments to protect this fundamental human right. Commissioners are appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
