A UK court has convicted a veteran over silently praying in the vicinity of an abortion clinic in November 2022. Adam Smith-Connor was given a 2-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay £9,000 (~$11,700) in court fees for breaking a British law that bans praying, protesting, and demonstrating near abortion facilities, as per prosecutors.

The Christian Post reported that Smith-Connor, a father of 2 and a British army veteran who served in Afghanistan, had lost a son to abortion many years prior to when he bowed his head and unassumingly prayed near the abortion clinic. The clinic, however, had legally adopted a "buffer zone," which the ADF International says is used "to stop pro-life beliefs being expressed near the facility, including offering help or prayers to women in crisis pregnancies."

Smith-Connor was questioned by police about "the nature of his prayer" before he was charged with a crime. He was found guilty of an act of "disapproval of abortion" by Poole Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

“Today, the court has decided that certain thoughts—silent thoughts—can be illegal in the United Kingdom,” he said of his conviction. “That cannot be right. All I did was pray to God, in the privacy of my own mind, and yet I stand convicted as a criminal?”

“I served for 20 years in the army reserves, including a tour in Afghanistan, to protect the fundamental freedoms that this country is built upon,” he continued. “I continue that spirit of service as a healthcare professional and church volunteer. It troubles me greatly to see our freedoms eroded to the extent that thought-crimes are now being prosecuted in the U.K.”