US Religious Liberty Commission flags European religious freedom prosecutions

The U.S. Religious Liberty Commission, created under the Trump administration to advise the president on threats to religious freedom, released a draft report that documents over 100 witness testimonies about rising religious liberty violations.

The report highlights two recent European cases: British army veteran and physiotherapist Adam Smith‑Connor, who was convicted for silently praying outside an abortion clinic, and Finnish Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen, who was convicted for expressing her Christian views on marriage, sexuality and for sharing a Bible verse in a church booklet. Both defendants are defended by Alliance Defending Freedom. The Commission warns that such prosecutions signal an expanding free‑speech and religious‑freedom crisis in Western democracies.

The document urges U.S. policymakers to monitor these developments and consider the broader implications for religious liberty in the West.