Päivi Räsänen: Finland

Päivi's Bible-tweet case to be decided by Finnish Supreme Court

Topic | Freedom of Speech

Long-serving Parliamentarian and grandmother Päivi Räsänen has been fighting for the right to free speech since April 2021. That’s when she was charged with “hate-speech” after expressing Christian beliefs on marriage and sexuality in a 2019 tweet. In April 2024, the Finnish Supreme Court decided it will hear her case. Its decision comes after the state prosecutor appealed the second unanimous court ruling that exonerated Päivi and Bishop Pohjola of “hate speech” allegations for sharing their faith-based beliefs. The prosecution is demanding tens of thousands of Euros in fines and insists that Päivi’s and Bishop Pohjola’s publications be censored.

In a unanimous ruling on 14 November 2023, the Helsinki Court of Appeal acquitted Päivi and the bishop of the “hate speech” charges that the state prosecutor had levelled against them. The decision confirmed the District Court’s March 2022 acquittal.

The Finnish Prosecutor General had brought three criminal charges against Päivi at the end of April 2021. The medical doctor, mother of five, and grandmother of eleven was accused of having engaged in “hate speech” for publicly voicing her opinion on marriage and human sexuality in a 2004 church pamphlet, for comments made during a 2019 radio debate, and a tweet she directed at her church leadership. The prosecution has dropped the charge regarding the radio debate in its appeal to the Supreme Court. Bishop Pohjola, the Chairman of the International Lutheran Council, was charged for having published the pamphlet that Räsänen authored.

“After my full exoneration in two courts, I’m not afraid of a hearing before the Supreme Court. Even though I am fully aware that every trial carries risks, an acquittal from the Supreme Court would set an even stronger positive precedent for everyone’s right to free speech and religion.”

- Päivi Räsänen, Finnish Parliamentarian and ADF International client

Case Summary

Police investigations against Räsänen started in June 2019. As an active member of the Finnish Lutheran church, she addressed the leadership of her church and questioned its official sponsorship of the LGBT event ‘Pride 2019’, accompanied by an image of a Bible text. Over several months, Räsänen attended a total of thirteen hours of police interviews about her views and had to wait over a year for the General Prosecutor to decide whether to continue with the prosecution. That decision was made in April 2021. Supported by ADF International Räsänen faced the courts to fight for everyone’s right to freely share their beliefs and was acquitted in two instances. Her defense before the Supreme Court was filed in May of 2024.

Päivi Räsänen has served as a member of the Finnish Parliament since 1995, and was Minister of the Interior from 2011-2015. She is a medical doctor, mother of five children, and has eleven grandchildren.

“Freedom of speech is one of the cornerstones of democracy. The Finnish Prosecutor General’s decision to bring these charges against Dr. Räsänen creates a culture of fear and censorship. If committed civil servants like Päivi Räsänen are criminally charged and tried for voicing their deeply held beliefs, it creates a chilling effect for everyone’s right to speak freely, ”said Paul Coleman, Executive Director of ADF International and author of “Censored“.