{"id":23666,"date":"2022-02-24T14:46:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-24T13:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/portfolio\/free-speech-on-trial"},"modified":"2025-10-31T17:27:54","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T16:27:54","slug":"free-speech-on-trial","status":"publish","type":"campaign","link":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/campaign\/free-speech-on-trial","title":{"rendered":"Free Speech On Trial: P\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Bible-tweet Case Reaches Final High-Stakes Battle at Finnish Supreme Court<\/em><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Long-standing parliamentarian P\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen stood trial a THIRD time on 30 October after expressing her Christian beliefs in a tweet.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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P\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen continues to be criminally prosecuted for expressing her Christian beliefs on marriage and sexuality in a 2019 tweet. Following multiple police interrogations, she was charged with \u201chate speech\u201d in April 2021, alongside Lutheran bishop Juhana Pohjola. ADF International coordinates their legal defence, standing up for the free speech rights of every person.<\/p>

Despite two unanimous acquittals, P\u00e4ivi now faces the seventh year of legal proceedings. The landmark case was heard at the Finnish Supreme Court on 30 October 2025, following the State prosecutor\u2019s appeal.<\/p>

The prosecution is seeking tens of thousands of euros in fines and is demanding that P\u00e4ivi\u2019s publications be censored.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Case of P\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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P\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen has been a member of the Finnish Parliament since 1995 and was Minister of the Interior from 2011 to 2015. She is a medical doctor, mother of five children, and grandmother of twelve. She is also an active member of the Finnish Lutheran church.<\/p>

Her ordeal began in June 2019 when she addressed the leadership of her church and questioned its official sponsorship of an LGBT event in a post on \u2018X\u2019 (formerly Twitter), accompanied by an image of a Bible text (Romans 1:24-27).<\/a><\/p>

For this tweet, P\u00e4ivi was charged as a criminal. In April 2021, the Finnish Prosecutor General brought three charges of \u201cagitation against a minority group\u201d against her under the country\u2019s War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity law.<\/p>

The police had also investigated a pamphlet that she authored for her church in 2004 titled: \u201cAs Man and Woman He Created Them\u201d about sexuality and marriage.<\/p>

P\u00e4ivi was accused of \u201chate speech\u201d for publicly voicing her opinion on marriage and sexuality in the church pamphlet she wrote, for comments made during a 2019 radio debate, and for the tweet<\/a>.<\/p>

Bishop Pohjola, the Chairman of the International Lutheran Council, was charged for publishing the pamphlet that P\u00e4ivi authored. In its appeal to the Supreme Court, the prosecution dropped the charge regarding the radio debate.<\/p>

In March 2022, P\u00e4ivi was unanimously acquitted at the District Court of Helsinki. In August 2023, P\u00e4ivi faced a second trial at the Finnish Court of Appeal.<\/p>

Another unanimous ruling followed as the District Court\u2019s acquittal was upheld. The court found that it \u201chas no reason, on the basis of the evidence received at the main hearing, to assess the case in any respect differently from the District Court. There is therefore no reason to alter the final result of the District Court\u2019s judgment.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Process as Punishment<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The gruelling process didn\u2019t end there. Despite the previous acquittals, the State prosecutor appealed the case. The stakes are higher than ever as P\u00e4ivi prepares to stand trial a third time before Finland\u2019s highest court.<\/p>

ADF International has stood alongside P\u00e4ivi as she faced the courts to fight for everyone\u2019s right to freely share their beliefs. God willing, this marks the last, precedent-setting step in P\u00e4ivi\u2019s fight and we remain steadfast by her side.<\/p>

In the view of the prosecution, P\u00e4ivi\u2019s beliefs, rooted in the bible and Christianity, are hateful and criminal. The prosecution has shown a clear determination to make an example out of her \u2014 to intimidate not only P\u00e4ivi but every Finn and every person who dares to peacefully speak what they believe.<\/p>

This committed civil servant never thought she would be put on trial for peacefully sharing beliefs in public.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\u201cAfter my full exoneration in two courts, I\u2019m 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\u2019s right to free speech and religion.\u201d \t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t- P\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen, Finnish Parliamentarian and ADF International client <\/cite>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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What\u2019s at Stake? <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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P\u00e4ivi\u2019s case, still ongoing despite two acquittals, highlights the risks created by Finland\u2019s current \u201chate speech\u201d provisions. The Finnish law on \u201cagitation against a minority group\u201d has enabled the criminal prosecution of peaceful expression of deeply held beliefs.<\/p>

As evidenced by this prosecution, overly broad \u201chate speech\u201d laws leave citizens vulnerable to years of investigation and trial for peacefully expressing their beliefs. Laws intended to prevent incitement to hatred or violence should never extend to peaceful expression protected by the human right to free speech.<\/p>

Furthermore, the precedent set here will reverberate across Europe. Under EU law, more specifically the Digital Services Act (DSA), decisions in one member state can directly influence what online speech is allowed throughout the entire Union.<\/p>

Meanwhile, the European Commission is also pushing to make \u201chate speech\u201d an EU-level crime, placing it alongside heinous acts like terrorism and human trafficking. If successful, this would force all member states to align their laws \u2014 drastically narrowing the space for free expression across Europe.<\/p>

ADF International is committed to supporting P\u00e4ivi and Bishop Pohjola in the pursuit of a final precedent-setting acquittal, in defence of the free speech rights of every person.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Support Messages from Around the World<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n Thank you for standing up for truth and the Bible\n <\/p> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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\n The truth is still the truth, whatever man says. May God keep you strong, and may he make me brave like you.\n <\/p> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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\n Please Ms. Rasanen do not give up. You are witness for the Lord Jesus and an example for all of us to follow. We are praying for you and the Bishop. -Larry\n <\/p> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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\n March 30, 2026 <\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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\n Keep fight for the free speech freedom\n <\/p> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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\n I look forward to better times for you and your family!\n <\/p> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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\n Do not give up courage and faith. Love, from a Hungarian.\n <\/p> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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