U.S. President Donald Trump signed pardons for anti-abortion activists on Thursday during another round of executive orders from the Oval Office.
Trump pardoned 23 individuals who had been convicted for blocking access to abortion clinics.
“They should not be prosecuted. Many of them are elderly. They should not be prosecuted,” he stated.
U.S. media reports that one of those pardoned is Lauren Handy, leader of the group Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU).
The group was convicted in 2020 for conspiring to attack a reproductive health clinic in Washington and block access to intimidate patients and staff.
The members forcibly entered 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 U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision in 2022, ending nearly 50 years of federal protection for abortion rights.
