The Court found Räsänen and the Bishop guilty for having “made available to the public and kept available to the public opinions that insult homosexuals as a group on the basis of their sexual orientation”. It held that: “it must be taken into account that the text forming the basis for the conviction did not contain incitement to violence or comparable threat-like fomenting of hatred. The conduct is therefore not particularly serious in terms of the nature of the offense”.
The pamphlet was authored by Räsänen in 2004. The Court convicted her on the basis that: “after a preliminary investigation into the matter was launched in 2019, Räsänen continued to share the article on her own internet and social media pages in 2019 and 2020”.
With regard to the 2019 Bible verse tweet in which Räsänen questioned her church leadership’s decision to sponsor a Pride event, the Court unanimously held that it did not meet the criteria for the offence of incitement as she “justified her opinion by citing a biblical text” among other things.
The Supreme Court has imposed criminal fines of several thousands of Euros and ruled that the impugned statements must be “removed from public access and destroyed.”
A modern-day heresy trial
The high-profile trial received significant global attention, particularly after the prosecution attacked core Christian teachings and cross-examined Räsänen and the Bishop on their theology.
Before the Court of Appeal, the Finnish State prosecutor, Anu Mantila, claimed that, “You can cite the Bible, but it is Räsänen’s interpretation and opinion about the Bible verses that are criminal”.
Coordinated by ADF International, Räsänen’s legal defense highlighted the strong protection that freedom of speech enjoys in international law, in addition to being integral to Finnish democracy.
“Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy. It is right that the Court has acquitted Päivi Räsänen for her 2019 Bible verse tweet. However, the conviction for a simple church pamphlet published decades ago – before the law under which she has been convicted was even passed – is an outrageous example of state censorship. This decision will create a severe chilling effect for everyone’s right to speak freely,” stated Paul Coleman, Executive Director of ADF International.
“This ruling is a stark reminder that no democracy is immune from the erosion of fundamental freedoms. Punishing peaceful expression, especially when it is based on deeply held religious convictions, undermines the very foundation of free societies,” said Kristen Waggoner, CEO, President, and Chief Counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom.
Press conference at 14:00 CET (9:00 EST)
ADF International will host a press conference on 26 March at 14:00 CET. Dr. Päivi Räsänen MP, Finnish criminal defence lawyer Matti Sankamo, Rev. Bishop Juhana Pohjola, and Paul Coleman, Executive Director of ADF International, will be available for questions after their statements. Please register here to access the link.
for saving: To learn more details about the case and to support Päivi Räsänen, visit www.ADFinternational.org/FreeSpeechOnTrial