Dr Päivi Räsänen MP and Bishop Juhana Pohjola were welcomed by well-wishers as their landmark free speech case reached Finland’s Supreme Court yesterday.
Supporters greeted the pair with signs that read: “Päivi and Juhana, we support you.”
Both Räsänen, a parliamentarian and medical doctor, and Bishop Pohjola stand accused of “hate speech” over public comments they made about marriage and sexuality. Räsänen has served as a member of the Finnish Parliament (Eduskunta) since 1995 and was chair of the Christian Democrats from 2004 to 2015.
They are being represented by religious freedom advocacy group ADF International.
During the rare oral hearing, prosecutors argued that Räsänen’s words were “insulting”, insisting that her motivation was irrelevant. Prosecutors are seeking criminal convictions and fines against both Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola for “incitement against a group”.
The charges relate to a 2019 tweet quoting the Bible, which questioned her church’s sponsorship of the Helsinki Pride event. Additional charges relate to a 2004 pamphlet, Male and Female He Created Them, which outlined traditional Christian views on marriage and sexuality. Bishop Pohjola was charged for publishing the pamphlet for his congregation.
Both were unanimously acquitted by the Helsinki District Court in 2022 and the Court of Appeal in 2023, but prosecutors have appealed those decisions.
Speaking to Uusi Tie magazine after the hearing, Räsänen expressed surprise that the prosecutor did not question her during proceedings, saying: “Perhaps it was a strategic choice on the part of the prosecutor, so that we would not be able to respond to them.”
She noted that the prosecutor had particularly focussed on the issue of equality, adding:
“I think that this is, in a way, the core issue. People are equal, but there is also a lot of wrongdoing in the area of sexuality. One cannot think that all sexual interaction is equal. Take, for example, sex with children, adultery, or rape. There are numerous examples that we can all agree on.”
Speaking to reporters, Räsänen said that whatever the outcome, the case would be a milestone not just for Finland but for wider Europe as well.
“My conscience is clear and my faith is firm," she said.