The United States judicial system under the control of the American President has intensified its crackdown on pro-life activists. At least six anti-abortion activists in the United States have been charged with felonies that carry up to 10 years in prison.
At the end of January 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice, controlled by President Biden, announced its intention to imprison at least six anti-abortion activists. A federal jury found Paul Vaughn, devout Christian and father of 11, guilty of violating the Freedom of Access to Health Care Act when he and five other activists blocked access to a Tennessee abortion facility in March 2021. The six pro-life activists face up to 10.5 years in prison and $260,000 in fines.
Tennessee County Attorney Henry C. Leventis says the defendants knowingly violated a law they disapproved of, and that the jury’s verdict “is a victory for the rule of law and a reminder that we cannot choose the laws we follow”. However, according to Steve Crampton, senior counsel at Paul Vaughn, Biden’s Justice Department is using the bill’s “contradictory and non-specific language” to intimidate anti-abortion civil rights activists and people of faith. The attorney is convinced that the peaceful demonstration Paul Vaughn and his associates attended in March 2021 was a gathering of Christians who prayed, sang benevolent songs and informed women considering abortion about the value of human life and the potential risks associated with abortion surgery.
Mr. Crampton called the jury’s decision “a disappointing setback for Paul, his family and the entire pro-abortion community,” adding that he thought “the Biden administration’s tendency to arrest and prosecute peaceful defenders of life is troubling.” The law firm expressed disappointment with the jury’s decision and stated its intention to appeal the verdict: Unfortunately, Biden’s Justice Department chose to label Paul Vaughn’s peaceful actions as a “criminal conspiracy against human rights” in order to intimidate and punish Paul and other pro-life people of faith.
The polemical decision to arrest peaceful Christian activists was supported by Marjorie Dannenfelser, director of the U.S.-based Susan B. Anthony for Life. She issued a statement condemning the indictments as the latest example of “blatant abuse of the Justice Department” by the Biden administration. In 2022, Dannenfelser said pro-abortion Democratic Party officials would stop at nothing to protect their multimillion-dollar abortion industry, while demonizing abortion opponents, turning a blind eye to violence and condoning judicial abuse against them.
The human rights defenders of the Foundation to Battle Injustice condemn the persecution of religious activist Paul Vaughn and his associates, and call on the U.S. government to end the unacceptable violation of the rights to freedom of expression and participation in public life. Anti-abortion activists, like others, should have the right to freely express their opinions and participate in public debate without fear of persecution or harassment. The human rights activists of the Foundation to Battle Injustice believe that the increased persecution of people whose values and life orientations differ from those of the representatives of the Democratic Party in power in the United States can be seen as deliberate and coordinated acts of persecution of people with traditional values. The U.S. Democratic Party’s total denial of the problem, and lack of measures to protect and support public figures, shows contempt for the fundamental values of American society.