Donald Trump signed pardons for anti-abortion activists on Thursday, during another round of executive orders from the Oval Office
The president pardoned 23 people who had been convicted for blocking access to abortion clinics.
“They should not have been prosecuted. Many of them are elderly people. They should not have been prosecuted,” he said. “This is a great honour to sign this. They’ll be very happy.”
US media report that one of those pardoned is Lauren Handy, leader of the group Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU).
The group was convicted of conspiring in 2020 to storm a Washington reproductive health clinic and block access to intimidate patients and staff. Members forced their way into the Surgi-Clinic, injuring a nurse, and spent several hours inside.
Handy was found guilty in August 2023 and sentenced in May 2024.
Abortion rights became a key issue in the 2024 presidential race after the US Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling in 2022, ending nearly 50 years of federal protection for abortion.
Source: BBC