German court upholds right to pray outside abortion facilities in “victory for freedom of religious expression”

02 September 2022

This week a German court ruled that prayer outside abortion facilities cannot be prohibited, throwing out a lower court ban issued in 2019.

In 2019, the city of Pforzheim in Germany banned prayer outside of abortion facilities, a decision upheld by a lower court in 2021.

But on 31 August 2022, the Mannheim Administrative Court rejected the ruling, saying that “authorities could only make an assembly dependent on such a condition if public safety would be directly endangered if the assembly were held. This was not the case here.”

This victory for pro-lifers was a result of a legal appeal brought by Pavica Vojnović, a pro-life activist who previously led prayer vigils organised by 40 Days for Life in Pforzheim.

Following this week’s court ruling, Vojnović said: “Every human life is valuable and deserves protection. I am heartened that we will be able to resume our prayer vigils in support of women and their unborn children in the place where we think it makes the most sense.”

Recently, SPUC slammed Bournemouth Council’s attempt to ban Christians from making the sign of the cross outside abortion facilities – an “attack on freedom of speech and religion”, said SPUC.

Similarly, Aberdeen is seeking to impose buffer zones around abortion facilities, though a council report has warned that any such by-law “could breach human rights”.

SPUC comment

A SPUC spokesperson said: “This is a victory for freedom of religious expression as well as freedom of speech, which is coming under increasing attack in the West by illiberal pro-abortion ideologues.

“The fight against these buffer zones is a vital one that pro-lifers and others cannot afford to lose. What is ultimately at stake here is freedom of speech – but also freedom of religion, and even silent prayer is now threatened.

“As pro-abortion ideologues step up their attempts to restrict pro-life free speech and prayer, we must be increasingly vigilant and not back down in the face of such restrictions that threaten our hard-won liberties.”

Aberdeen Council warned that buffer zone breaches human rights

German court upholds right to pray outside abortion facilities in “victory for freedom of religious expression”

02 September 2022

This week a German court ruled that prayer outside abortion facilities cannot be prohibited, throwing out a lower court ban issued in 2019.

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