A Christian couple in the US state of Oregon fined for declining on conscience grounds to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding face financial ruin as the state moves to enforce the ruling. The couple have also been ordered not to speak about their religious objections in the case.

The Bureau of Labour said the punitive actions against the couple was designed to “rehabilitate” them.

Aaron and Melissa Klein, the owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, were left facing a huge bill of $135,000 when Oregon’s Bureau of Labour and Industries found they had breached the Oregon Equality Act in refusing, in 2013, to supply a cake to a gay couple based on their religious beliefs marriage can only be between a man and one woman. According to a report by Lifesite News, the Bureau of Labour has now announced that it is to seize the Klein’s home, business and assets towards securing full payment of the fine.

In addition to ruling against the Kleins, the Bureau of Labour also handed down a barring order to the couple, preventing them from speaking publicly about the case or their religious objections to same-sex marriage, and described the punitive action against the couple as designed to “rehabilitate” them.

The Kleins launched an appeal against the Bureau’s ruling in July of this year, but a connected appeal for a stay against payment of the fine in the meantime was turned down by the Bureau, which pointed out that the major fundraising campaign launched for the couple by supporters had raised sufficient funds for immediate payment. However, in response to this, the Kleins have pointed out that, as they face financial ruin, they are unwilling to dip into the funds until they have a definite ruling from their appeal.

“We’re not touching that money for any purpose because I don’t know what the future holds,” Aaron Klein said.