UK Police Drop Investigation into Pastor Arrested for Preaching about Islam

A U.K. pastor has been cleared of wrongdoing after police dropped a months-long criminal investigation into a street sermon he delivered in Bristol, England, last November.

Pastor Dia Moodley, 58, was originally arrested on suspicion of committing a “religiously aggravated” offense under the Public Order Act, according to the legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International.

ADF International said Moodley was arrested after “peacefully commenting on Islam and transgender ideology” while street preaching. Following his arrest, Moodley was detained in a police cell for eight hours and later released on bail while authorities investigated the allegations.

On May 16, ADF said Avon and Somerset Police informed Moodley that they were officially dropping the case. This marks the second time Moodley has been arrested while preaching about Islam and transgender ideology during his evangelism efforts.

In March 2024, he was also arrested under similar circumstances before police later dropped the investigation and issued an apology, according to ADF International. Moodley and his supporters argue the repeated investigations reflect growing restrictions on Christian free speech in Britain.

According to ADF International, Moodley has also repeatedly faced hostility and threats from bystanders while preaching, most recently during an Easter sermon in Bristol on April 4. While delivering the sermon, Moodley compared Jesus to other religious figures and said Jesus was the only one who rose from the dead.

Video footage shared online appeared to show a Muslim bystander approaching Moodley and warning him, “If you do that again, bro, we’ll send the boys round… we’ll have someone have a word with you.” Police said efforts to obtain additional footage of the exchange were unsuccessful, but added that the case could be reviewed if new evidence emerges.

Source: Read the original report