Aviso: Judgment in Finnish MP’s Bible-tweet trial expected on 30th March

HELSINKI (24 March 2022) – A Finnish court is expected to rule on the Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola’s free speech case on 30th March. Both stand accused of having engaged in “hate speech” for publicly sharing their faith-based beliefs. The former Minister of the Interior had voiced her convictions on marriage and sexual ethics, in a 2019 tweet, a 2019 radio debate, and a 2004 pamphlet. The bishop faces charges for publishing Räsänen’s pamphlet. Their case garnered global media attention this year, as human rights experts voiced concern over the threat this case poses to free speech in Finland. 

“In a free society, everyone should be allowed to share their beliefs without fear of censorship. This is the foundation of every free and democratic society. We hope the Helsinki District Court will uphold this fundamental freedom when it rules on this case. Criminalizing speech through so-called ‘hate-speech’ laws shuts down important public debates and poses a grave threat to our democracies,” said Paul Coleman, Executive Director of ADF International and author of ‘Censored: How European Hate Speech Laws are Threatening Freedom of Speech’. 

Christian teachings on trial 

The high-profile trial received significant attention, particularly after the prosecution attacked core Christian teachings and cross-examined Räsänen and the bishop on their theology in court. The prosecutor began the first day of the trial by arguing that the case was not about beliefs or the Bible. She then proceeded to quote Old Testament Bible verses and criticize the phrase “love the sinner, hate the sin”. In their closing statement, the prosecution alleged that the use of the word “sin” can be “harmful” and called for heavy fines in the event of a guilty verdict.   

Räsänen’s defence, supported by the legal advocacy organization ADF International, argued that finding Räsänen guilty, would significantly damage free speech in Finland. What Räsänen said, they argued, was an expression of Christian teaching.  

Trial for a Tweet  

Police investigations against Räsänen started in June 2019. As an active member of the Finnish Lutheran church, she had addressed the leadership of her church on Twitter and questioned its official sponsorship of the LGBT event ‘Pride 2019’, accompanied by an image of Bible verses from the New Testament book of Romans. Following this tweet, further investigations against Räsänen were launched, going back to a church pamphlet Räsänen wrote almost 20 years ago. 

In the last two years, Räsänen attended several lengthy police interrogations about her Christian beliefs – including being frequently asked by the police to explain her understanding of the Bible. In April 2021, Finland’s Prosecutor General had brought three criminal charges against Räsänen. Two of the three charges Räsänen faced had come after the police made strong recommendations not to continue the prosecution. Räsänen’s statements also did not violate the policies of Twitter or the national broadcaster, which is why they remained freely available on their platforms. The Helsinki District Court has now acquitted Räsänen of all charges.  

Räsänen has served as a Finnish Member of Parliament since 1995. From 2004-2015 she was chair of the Christian Democrats and from 2011-2015 she was the Minister of the Interior. During this time, she held responsibility for church affairs in Finland. 

Press conference after the verdict 

ADF International will host a press conference after the verdict is announced on 30th March at 16:00 CEST. Dr. Päivi Räsänen, MP, Paul Coleman, Executive Director of ADF International, and Lorcán Price, Legal Counsel for ADF International will be available for questions after their statements. Please register here to access the Zoom link: https://adfinternational.org/paivi-press-conference-invitation/