Case Explained: Police interrogate Christian pastor arrested for commenting on Islam and transgender ideology while street preaching, in ongoing criminal investigation – Legal Perspective

BRISTOL (4 April 2026) – Police interrogated a Bristol-based pastor who was arrested for commenting on Islam and transgender ideology while peacefully street preaching, as part of an ongoing four-month criminal investigation.

Pastor Dia Moodley, who was arrested last November for his Christian speech in Broadmead, Bristol, did not street preach over Christmas and, before today, has refrained from doing so in the run-up to Easter, due to the risk of further arrest.

Today, he will street preach for the first time since the arrest, as he feels it is his Christian duty to do so on the day before Easter.

The pastor’s legal defence is supported by ADF International. Earlier this month, the pastor attended a voluntary interview under caution due to the risk of arrest if he did not attend.

During the interview, Avon and Somerset Police officers asked Pastor Moodley questions, which indicated ideological bias and a failure to understand basic Christian beliefs.

For example, according to Pastor Moodley, the police asked why the pastor preached in an area where he knew Muslims would be present, suggesting there is no right to free speech in such areas. In reality, Pastor Moodley was preaching to all people present in the city centre of Bristol.

Also according to the pastor, most of the police questions focused on his comments on transgender ideology and police asked whether he should criticise the ideology as a Christian.

Pastor Moodley was arrested on November 22, 2025 on suspicion of committing a “religiously aggravated” public order offence and “inciting religious hatred” under the Public Order Act 1986, despite the fact that he had merely shared his views in the public square. Read more about the incident here.

This is the second time Avon and Somerset Police have arrested the pastor for his peaceful speech.

In March 2024, he was arrested for the same reason—commenting on Islam and transgender ideology while street preaching. The police investigation was later dropped.

Pastor Moodley said: “My experience as a Christian pastor, including the police questioning why I preached in an area where I supposedly knew Muslims would be present, undoubtedly shows there is a real risk of authorities allowing Christianity to be pushed out of public spaces in the UK in favour of allowing Islam or other beliefs to dominate.

“I did not ‘target’ anyone with my speech. I merely preached the Gospel to all people out of love for God and my neighbour. For the police to suggest I cannot do this in areas where Muslims are present sets a very dangerous precedent for free speech.

“Avon and Somerset police have subjected me to an arrest, eight hours in a police cell and a four-month long ongoing criminal investigation for peacefully expressing my views in the public square.

“During an interview under caution, which I only attended because of the risk of further arrest if I did not, the police’s line of questioning showed a clear two-tier bias in favour of Muslim and progressive beliefs, and against my Christian speech.

“The process truly has become the punishment for me. This investigation has effectively prevented me from publicly preaching over Christmas and in the run-up to Easter so far [before today] because of the uncertainty over whether the police consider my entirely lawful speech to be a crime because it offends Muslims and others.

“I consider public preaching to be an essential part of my worship, which the police have de facto inhibited, due to their investigation. There are no Islamic or progressive blasphemy laws in this country, and yet time and time again the police have censored me as if there are. The police should drop this investigation and refrain from censoring me again in the future.”

Pastor Moodley told The Telegraph: “I’ve been arrested for something which is absolutely ludicrous. I did nothing [wrong], but here I am on Saturday going out again to preach during Easter time.

“There’s a fear in my heart and a fear in my congregation that I could be arrested on Sunday morning.”

Barrister and Legal Counsel for ADF International Jeremiah Igunnubole commented: “The police’s suggestion, in their questioning of Pastor Dia, that the right to free speech does not extend to public spaces where Muslims are present is totally antithetical to the tradition of liberty in Great Britain and the equality of all people under the law.

“Bristol city centre is not a Muslim area or a progressive area in which those worldviews cannot be criticised. Every area in Britain is subject to the rule of law, which includes the protection of the right to freedom of speech. Permitting one group to have a veto over another undermines the principle of equality under the law and reintroduces blasphemy laws through the backdoor.

“DPP v. Coskun showed clearly that there is no blasphemy law in this country. The mere fact that others are offended by expression does not make that expression a crime. Pastor Dia’s fight against censorship and two-tier policing in this case is a battle for the free speech rights of all people in this country.”

With the support of ADF International, Pastor Moodley is considering legal action against the police for the violation of his free speech rights.

Police interrogation

On 10 March, Pastor Moodley attended an interview under caution at an Avon and Somerset Police station. An interview under caution is formal questioning by the police, the answers to which can be used in criminal proceedings.

The pastor read a statement, which referenced an earlier acknowledgement from the police that his public preaching is lawful and that any attempt to restrict it would be disproportionate.

Officers appeared to accept the legality of his conduct, but, according to the pastor, went on to question whether it was appropriate for a Christian to express criticism of transgender ideology and asked why the pastor would go and preach in an area where he knew a certain group of people would be—referring to Muslims.

Past police censorship

After Pastor Moodley’s first arrest in March 2024, the police also unlawfully instructed that his signs, which he used while street preaching, be destroyed. The police have failed to even acknowledge his formal request for compensation for the signs.  

Previously, police tried to censor Pastor Moodley from commenting on any religion besides Christianity while street preaching. Avon and Somerset Police dropped these restrictions and admitted they were “disproportionate” after Pastor Moodley launched a legal challenge with the support of ADF International.  

In March 2025, the pastor was twice threatened with arrest for “breaching the peace”, after preaching about the differences between Christianity and Islam while holding a Quran.  

He was the victim of assault on that occasion by Muslim bystanders and one man even threatened to stab the pastor. The police have not charged any of the individuals who assaulted him. 

The pastor met with the US State Department prior to that incident in March, at a meeting facilitated by ADF International, and spoke about his experience as a victim of censorship in the UK.

Read more about Avon and Somerset’s censorship of Pastor Moodley here.