“They call us criminals”: Catholic Pro-life Activists in Africa Decry Worldwide Arrests

Nairobi, 29 March, 2023 / 9:53 PM

Pro-lifers around the world are being arrested and detained unfairly for expressing their opinions on family values, activists in Africa under their umbrella organization, CitizenGO Africa, have said.

In a report shared with ACI Africa on Wednesday, March 29, the CitizenGO activists lamented that they are being arrested and prosecuted for harmless acts such as praying near abortion facilities, holding marches to campaign for sanctity of life, and holding anti-abortion campaigns in the media.

“Pro-life and pro-family people around the world are being arrested and thrown in jail simply for professing their beliefs. Some are expressing their opinions in the media. Others are simply praying silently near closed abortion facilities,” the activists say in their report. 

They add, “Why is the radical left so scared of our voices? It is because their ideology is built on lies and is too fragile to withstand the slightest scrutiny. They know that even one voice can transform the lives of millions worldwide. And this terrifies them.”

“They call us criminals,” the activists say, and continue in reference to member of the “radical left”, “They plot to make sure that only the voices praising abortion on demand and LGBTQ radicals can be heard.”

The activists highlight various cases of police brutality targeting those opposed to the LGBTQ agenda, including the persecution of Anne Kioko, a Kenya-based CitizenGO Africa campaigner.

“Because CitizenGO fights back, we have been attacked and censored in countless ways, from attacks on our computer system, our access to banking services, fines by European and state entities, multiple arrests of our UK Campaigner, Caroline Farrow, for speaking against LGBT ideology, and persecution of our Africa Campaigner, Ann Kioko, for standing for life,” they say. 

The activists condemn what they describe as a conspiration by the pro-LGBTQ and abortionist movements “to propagandize our children with their lifestyle of degeneracy and sexualization under the banner of ‘comprehensive sexual education’”.

According to the Catholic activists, no one should be criminalized for their personal thoughts, prayers, or even peaceful expression on a public street. 

“The goal is simply to criminalize Christian belief and thought,” they say, adding that they will not be stopped in campaigning for the respect of family values and the sanctity of life. 

“CitizenGO is determined to raise awareness of the dangers that these attacks on our freedoms are causing all around the world,” they say in the report shared with ACI Africa March 28, and add, “But we won’t be bullied, and we won’t be silenced. We are going to stand our ground.”