- Parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen, former Finnish Minister of the Interior, faces Supreme Court hearing over a 2019 Twitter post on 30th October despite two previous unanimous acquittals
- US State Department: ‘The case against Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen, which accuses her of hate speech for simply posting a Bible verse, is baseless…”
- ADF International is supporting Räsänen’s legal defence
Washington D.C. (12 September 2025) – A US State Department bureau said on Wednesday that the criminal prosecution of Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen “is baseless” and tweeted a Bible verse in support. The show of solidarity comes after the Finnish Supreme Court has set the date for an oral hearing in the free speech case involving Päivi Räsänen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola. Both were previously unanimously acquitted of “hate speech” charges by two lower courts after publicly expressing their Christian beliefs.
The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, & Labor (DRL) issued a statement on the case of Päivi Räsänen on X, saying: “In a democracy, no one should face trial for peacefully sharing their beliefs. The case against Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen, which accuses her of hate speech for simply posting a Bible verse, is baseless, as two courts have unanimously found.
“I’m thankful that the US State Department has taken note of my case and expressed its support. In a free society, it should never be a crime to share a Bible verse or express beliefs rooted in faith. The burden of the legal ordeal of the past few years has been challenging, but I remain hopeful that justice will prevail—not only for me, but for the wider principle of free speech in Finland. No one should face criminal charges for peacefully voicing their convictions.”
“I’m thankful that the US State Department has taken note of my case and expressed its support. In a free society, it should never be a crime to share a Bible verse or express beliefs rooted in faith."
Räsänen, who is a medical doctor, Finland’s former Interior Minister, and a parliamentarian since 1995, was criminally charged with “agitation against a minority group” in 2021. She was charged under a section of the Finnish criminal code titled “war crimes and crimes against humanity” for sharing her Christian beliefs on marriage and sexual ethics in a 2019 tweet, as well as a 2019 live radio debate and 2004 church pamphlet. Bishop Pohjola was charged for publishing Räsänen’s 2004 pamphlet. The prosecution has dropped the charge regarding the radio debate in its appeal to the Supreme Court.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you…”
In its post, the State Department bureau included a Bible verse: “Matthew 5:11: “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”
“I applaud the US administration for speaking out in defense of freedom of expression worldwide and for engaging in robust diplomacy to that end,” Räränen added.
Responding to DRL’s comment, Paul Coleman, Executive Director for ADF International who serves on Räsänen’s legal defence team said:
“We welcome the US State Department’s strong stance in support of Päivi Räsänen and the fundamental right to free speech. When a democratic government publicly affirms that no one should be prosecuted for peacefully expressing their beliefs, it sends a powerful message. This case has always been about more than just one individual—it’s about the right of every person to speak freely without fear of criminal charges. We’re grateful for this recognition and will continue standing with Päivi until this unjust prosecution is brought to an end once and for all.”
Learn more about the case: https://adfinternational.org/cases/paivi
