(ZENIT News / Washington, DC, 15.05.2024).- In a controversial case, which has stirred intense debates about freedom of expression and civil rights, Lauren Handy, an outstanding pro-life activist, was sentenced to 57 months in a Federal prison and three years of conditional freedom, for taking part in a peaceful protest against abortion. The sentence was issued under the FACE Law, a statute that has been rarely used but which the Biden Administration invoked in this case.
Handy, known for her activism within the political left and her firm position against abortion, organized a sit-in in an abortion clinic in 2020. According to her defenders, if her protest had been for an environmental cause, she would probably have faced minor charges and a fine. However, due to the nature of her activism, the Department of Justice under the Biden Administration, exerted pressure for the most severe penalties to be applied to her provided in the FACE Law, a measure that its critics consider a disproportionate use of the law to suppress pro-life dissidence.
In addition to Handy, two other activists, John Hinshaw and Will Goodman, were also sentenced for taking part in the protest. Hinshaw was sentenced to 21 months, of which he was accredited nine months already complied with, whereas Goodman was sentenced to 27 months of prison.
In a statement before learning her sentence, Handy reflected on her imprisonment and her commitment to the pro-life cause. “Close to nine months have passed since I was abruptly torn from my community,” she said. “This has led me to think carefully what to say about my sentence today in a Federal Court. Some drafts were angry and fair, while the majority were just a wish full of tears for my loved ones at home. Yes, this time it was a challenge, but I refuse to get tired. Why? Because life goes on . . . including in prison. So I can well continue loving, crying, shouting and dancing. That’s joy. The sensation of being fully alive without shame, which is something no court can take away from me. So today I’m at peace with myself and with my future. I’ll go to the court with my head held high and an open heart.”
Handy’s sentence has generated a wave of reactions among defendants of civil rights and pro-life activists, who argue that the Biden Administration is using the FACE Law unjustly, to silence those that protest peacefully against abortion. The Law, which was designed to protect access to reproductive health services, has been criticized for its potential to infringe the rights of freedom of expression when applied in an excessive way.
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