Pastor accused of ‘inciting religious hatred’with UK street sermon, legal advocacy group says

A Christian pastor arrested in Bristol, England, in November on suspicion of “inciting religious hatred” after delivering a street sermon is still awaiting a decision on whether he will face criminal charges, according to a legal advocacy group supporting him.

Pastor Dia Moodley, 58, was detained for eight hours and released on bail conditions that temporarily barred him from entering the city during the Christmas period.

ADF UK, the British arm of the faith-based legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom, is representing Moodley.

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The group advocates forreligious freedom and free speech rightsand argues that the pastor’s case reflects what it describes as a broader pattern of police action that risks criminalizing lawful religious expression.

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Pastor Dia Moodley, who has been involved in legal disputes over street preaching in Bristol, speaks with his lawyer in the United Kingdom, in this undated photo.(ADF UK)

Although the initial bail restrictions were later dropped,police visited Moodleyagain in January and invited him to attend a voluntary interview under caution as they continued to investigate the November incident.

The case marks the second time he has been arrested over hisstreet preaching, ADF UK said, and follows previous disputes with police over restrictions placed on his public comments about other religions.

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Bristol city centreincluding 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].”

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Pastor Dia Moodley preaches on a street corner in Bristol, where he has faced legal challenges regarding his public ministry, as seen in this undated photo.(ADF UK)

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Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal counsel for ADF International, said Pastor Dia’s arrest for “peacefully commenting on Islam and transgender ideology” shows police are usingpublic order legislationto impose “de facto blasphemy laws” in the U.K.

“This is far from an isolated incident,” Igunnubole said.“It is part of a clear pattern of behavior 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.”