Christian street preacher arrested for ‘inciting racial hatred’ with sermon on Islam and transgender ideology is CLEARED as police drop investigation

A police investigation of a Christian street preacher arrested in Bristol for ‘inciting religious hatred’ has been dropped in a ‘free speech victory’.

Dia Moodley, 58, was arrested in November 2025 after delivering a street sermon criticizing Islam and transgender ideology, according to legal counsel faith-based Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) UK.

However, Avon and Somerset Police canceled its hate crime investigation into the evangelical pastor on April 8, saying ‘no further action will be taken’.

Mr Moodley said the verdict was ‘a victory for freedom of expression’ and added that he should never have been investigated.

‘I should never have been arrested, treated as a criminal and investigated for months for peacefully sharing my faith in the square,’ he said.

Mr Moodley was arrested on November 22 on suspicion of a racially or religiously aggravated public order offense and assault by beating, after which his lawyers said he was held for eight hours.

At the time of his arrest, he was reportedly preaching against trans ideology and comparing the teachings of Christianity to other religions, including Islam.

He was released on bail with conditions temporarily banning him from entering Bristol over Christmas.

Mr Moodley has previously faced police investigation over his public comments and sermons

Avon and Somerset Police visited the vicar again in January and discreetly invited him to a voluntary interview.

Legal counsel Jeremiah Igunnubole said the arrest of Mr Moodley in February for ‘peacefully commenting on Islam and trans ideology’ showed police were using public order laws to impose ‘de facto blasphemy laws’ in the UK.

The events in November marked Moodley’s second arrest, with the previous action in March 2024.

He was later arrested after making comments about Islam and saying biological sex was binary while preaching outside Bristol University.

Mr Igunnubole said in February: ‘This is far from an isolated incident. This is part of a clear pattern of behavior by Avon and Somerset Police, who have for years targeted Pastor Dia for his peaceful expression in the square and failed in their duty to investigate serious crimes committed against him by those who objected to his speech.

‘Police must end their two-tier approach to criminalizing legal speech. There has long been a pressing need for Parliament to legislate to ensure strong protection of the right to freedom of expression in this country.

Pastor Dia’s case becomes more urgent as the government finalizes its broad and vague definition of ‘anti-Muslim hatred’, which risks censoring legitimate expressions about Islam.

Pastor Dia’s case shows how authorities can misinterpret peaceful comments about Islam as ‘hateful’ and criminal.

‘This misconfiguration will be repeated unless clarity is provided to protect citizens’ ability to comment, debate and criticize peacefully in accordance with their fundamental beliefs.’

Mr Moodley claimed that during his Easter sermon on April 4, a nearby Muslim threatened him after he compared Jesus to the Prophet Muhammad and said only the former had risen from the dead.

Footage of the conversation showed a man saying: ‘If you do that again bro, we’ll send the boys away… we’ll get someone to talk to you.’

Vicar says Avon and Somerset Police dropping investigation into him is ‘a victory for freedom of expression’

Avon and Somerset Police allegedly refused to investigate the man after Mr Moodley reported him, claiming there was “insufficient evidence and his comments, although ‘unpleasant’, did not constitute an offence”.

Mr Moodley said: ‘Avon and Somerset Police arrested me twice because my legal speech was seen as offensive to some Muslims and people with a progressive worldview.

‘Meanwhile, the police have shockingly failed to investigate the violence and threats made against me by those who objected to my speech. This is the definition of two-tier policing and it must end.’

In his sermon, Mr Moodley said Islam was ‘a lie’ and ‘dark’ while Christianity was ‘light’.

He also said that the Bible is ‘true’ while the Quran is ‘not true’.

He is banned from ‘commenting’ on any other faith in 2021 and is banned from preaching without police approval.

He was also among activists who met with US officials sent to Britain in March last year as part of concerns in Washington that free speech was under threat in Britain.