The leader of the Bournemouth branch of the Christian anti-abortion charity 40 Days of Life has found herself at the centre of a free speech row between the US and the UK.
Livia Tossici-Bolt, 64, was charged with a public order offence for violating a "buffer zone" by holding a sign that read, "Here to talk if you want” for two days in March 2023.
She is expecting a verdict on Friday. Tossici-Bolt, a retired medical scientist, denies the charges.
Now, her case has drawn international attention, with the US State Department expressing concern over freedom of expression in the UK.
Writing on X, the US bureau of democracy, human rights and labour said: “We are concerned about freedom of expression in the United Kingdom… We are monitoring [Ms Tossici-Bolt’s] case.”
Her case mirrors that of another anti-abortion activist and Christian, Adam Smith-Connor, who was prosecuted outside the same clinic.
US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have raised concerns about threats to freedom of expression in the UK, particularly for religious individuals.
Tossici-Bolt expressed gratitude for the US's support, calling it "tragic" that the UK’s growing censorship prompted such international intervention.
She said: “I am grateful to the US State Department for taking note of my case. Great Britain is supposed to be a free country, yet I’ve been dragged through court merely for offering consensual conversation. I’m thankful to ADF International for supporting my legal defence.
“Peaceful expression is a fundamental right—no one should be criminalised for harmless offers to converse.”
She added: “It is tragic to see that the increase of censorship in this country has made the US feel it has to remind us of our shared values and basic civil liberties.
“I’m grateful to the US administration for prioritising the preservation and promotion of freedom of expression and for engaging in robust diplomacy to that end.
“It deeply saddens me that the UK is seen as an international embarrassment when it comes to free speech. My case, involving only a mere invitation to speak, is but one example of the extreme and undeniable state of censorship in Great Britain today.
“It is important that the government actually does respect freedom of expression, as it claims to.”
According to The Standard, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has also weighed in the row, urging the US to recognise the UK's commitment to free speech, stating: "The US state department should recognise that the UK is a free country with liberal values."
Badenoch acknowledged that while the UK generally protects free speech, there are risks to this freedom if not properly safeguarded.
She said: "We do have freedom of expression but it is at risk in some places if we’re not paying attention."
The UK government declined to comment on the case but reiterated its commitment to ensuring that women seeking abortion services are not harassed.