U.S. officials are concerned with the prosecution of a Northern Ireland pastor who allegedly violated British buffer zone laws while sharing the gospel.
Clive Johnson, 77, is accused of preaching a sermon on John 3:16 near the Causeway Hospital in Londonderry back in July 2024, according to a report from The Telegraph.
The pastor and grandfather of seven has been charged under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act, which forbids prayer and other advocacy activities near facilities that perform abortions.
Johnson could face £2,500 in fines, equivalent to roughly $3,400, and the prospect of a criminal record.
The Telegraph reported that Trump administration officials have been keeping a close watch on the prosecution of “thought criminals” in the United Kingdom.
A US spokesman told The Daily Telegraph: “The United States is still monitoring many buffer zone cases in the UK, as well as other acts of censorship throughout Europe.”https://t.co/Z0f1aDqp9Z
— The Christian Institute (@christianorguk) April 17, 2026
They have especially watched the enforcement of buffer zone laws.
“The United States is still monitoring many buffer zone cases in the UK, as well as other acts of censorship throughout Europe,” a spokesman from the U.S. State Department told The Telegraph.
“The UK’s persecution of silent prayer represents not only an egregious violation of the fundamental right to free speech and religious liberty, but also a concerning departure from the shared values that ought to underpin US-UK relations,” he added.
The case of Johnson is indeed not the first time U.S. officials have expressed such concerns.
Vice President J.D. Vance said last year at a security conference in Munich, Germany, that the government of the United Kingdom has “placed the basic liberties of religious Britons” under threat, per a report from The Guardian.
He discussed the case of Adam Smith-Connor, who had been charged with the “heinous crime of standing 50 meters from an abortion clinic and silently praying for three minutes, not obstructing anyone, not interacting with anyone, just silently praying on his own.”
Vance likewise denounced the Scottish government for handing out flyers to citizens “within so-called safe access zones, warning them that even private prayer within their own homes may amount to breaking the law.”
Ahead of his next hearing, Johnson issued a video on social media thanking those who have stood alongside him.
Pastor Clive Johnston thanks supporters for their prayers and encouragement ahead of next week’s hearing, where he is being prosecuted for preaching the Gospel in a ‘Safe Access Zone’ #freespeech #christian #john316 pic.twitter.com/NYIy3GqAaH
— The Christian Institute (@christianorguk) April 17, 2026
“I just want to take the opportunity to thank you, to say how very much I have appreciated the support, the encouragement, your prayers, your letters, your texts,” the pastor said.
“It’s all of the Lord’s people who are involved in seeking to turn back the tide,” he added.
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