A Christian pastor from Bristol, England, was taken into custody last November on allegations of “inciting religious hatred” during a street sermon. He is still waiting to hear if he will face criminal charges, as reported by a legal advocacy group that is supporting him.
Pastor Dia Moodley, aged 58, experienced an eight-hour detention and was initially released with bail conditions that prohibited him from entering the city over the Christmas holidays.
The British branch of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF UK), a legal organization focused on faith-based issues, is providing representation for Moodley.
This group champions religious freedom and free speech, arguing that the pastor’s situation is indicative of a wider trend where police actions could potentially criminalize legitimate religious expressions.
Pastor Dia Moodley, known for his legal battles concerning street preaching in Bristol, is seen discussing his case with his lawyer in the UK in an undated photo. (ADF UK)
Even though the initial bail conditions were eventually lifted, authorities approached Moodley again in January, inviting him for a voluntary interview under caution as part of their ongoing investigation into the November incident.
The case marks the second time he has been arrested over his street preaching, ADF UK said, and follows previous disputes with police over restrictions placed on his public comments about other religions.
Avon and Somerset Police told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that they could neither confirm nor deny the identity of anyone arrested but, based on the date and location provided, issued the following statement:
“A 58-year-old man was arrested at about 2.30pm on Saturday 22 November in Broadmead, Bristol, on suspicion of assault by beating and of a racially/religiously aggravated public order offence,” police said. “He was later released on police bail until the end of December, with a condition not to attend areas of Bristol city centre including Broadmead. These conditions however were ultimately lifted by a supervisory officer in mid-December following representations from the arrested man.”
An outside shot of the Avon and Somerset Police headquarters in Bristol, England, on Sept. 27, 2017. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
The agency said the man is no longer on bail after being released under investigation in early January, adding that a counter-allegation has been recorded and inquiries are ongoing. The statement did not provide further details about the alleged assault.
The public order offense referenced by police falls under the Public Order Act 1986.
It’s defined by the government under Section 29B as, “A person who uses threatening words or behaviour, or displays any written material which is threatening, is guilty of an offence if he intends thereby to stir up religious hatred [or hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation].”
Pastor Dia Moodley preaches on a street corner in Bristol, United Kingdom, where he has faced legal challenges regarding his public ministry, as seen in this undated photo. (ADF UK)
Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal counsel for ADF International, said Pastor Dia’s arrest for “peacefully commenting on Islam and transgender ideology” shows police are using public order legislation to impose “de facto blasphemy laws” in the UK.
“This is far from an isolated incident,” Igunnubole said. “It is part of a clear pattern of behaviour from Avon and Somerset Police, who for years have targeted Pastor Dia for his peaceful expression in the public square and have failed in their duty to investigate serious crimes committed against him by those who objected to his speech.”
