The Finnish Supreme Court has scheduled an oral hearing on October 30 in the high-profile free speech case involving Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola. Both were previously acquitted unanimously of “hate speech” charges by two lower courts after publicly expressing their Christian beliefs.
Räsänen, a medical doctor and Finland’s former Minister of the Interior, has faced criminal charges since 2021 for sharing her faith-based views on marriage and sexual ethics, including a 2019 tweet, a live radio debate, and a 2004 church pamphlet. Bishop Juhana was charged for publishing Räsänen’s pamphlet.
Paul Coleman, executive director of ADF International and part of Räsänen’s legal defense team, said: “It is shocking that after two unanimous acquittals, Päivi Räsänen is again being dragged to court to defend her fundamental right to freedom of speech. In a free and democratic society, all should be allowed to share their beliefs without fear of punishment.”
Two lower courts previously cleared both Räsänen and Pohjola of all charges in April 2022 and November 2023, but the state prosecutor appealed for a third time. The case has drawn international attention, with critics warning that vaguely worded “hate speech” laws can be used to prosecute ideological beliefs.
The Finnish state prosecutor, Anu Mantila, has claimed that “you can cite the Bible, but it is Räsänen’s interpretation and opinion about the Bible verses that are criminal.”
Räsänen said in a statement: “It isn’t a crime to tweet a Bible verse, or to engage in public discourse from a Christian perspective.
The attempts to criminalize me for expressing my beliefs have resulted in an immensely trying last few years, but I still hope for a positive result that will stand as a key precedent to protect the human right to free speech in Finland.”
ADF International has argued that Räsänen’s use of the word “sin” in her 2019 tweet was a direct quotation from the Bible, and any ruling against her would effectively condemn the Bible itself.
