{"id":93961,"date":"2026-06-02T11:33:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T09:33:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/?p=93961"},"modified":"2026-06-02T11:58:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T09:58:20","slug":"paivi-rasanen-submits-testimony-before-canadian-senate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/finnish-mp-paivi-rasanen-submits-testimony-before-canadian-senate-human-rights-committee-on-c-9-hate-speech-bill","title":{"rendered":"Finnish MP P\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen submits testimony before Canadian Senate Human Rights Committee on C-9 \u201cHate Speech\u201d Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"93961\" class=\"elementor elementor-93961\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-50df30bf elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"50df30bf\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1ec0e062\" data-id=\"1ec0e062\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6bb04814 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6bb04814\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li><strong>P\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen shares her experience of prosecution and conviction by Finnish authorities for peacefully expressing Christian beliefs about marriage and human sexuality<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>R\u00e4s\u00e4nen submitted testimony as Canadian Senate considers amending criminal code to weaken protections for opinions expressed on religious subjects<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70eb3874 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-featured-image elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"70eb3874\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-featured-image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/ADF-Finland-Web-27-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-2577\" alt=\"P\u00e4ivi reads her bible in the Finnish Parliament building.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/ADF-Finland-Web-27-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/ADF-Finland-Web-27-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/ADF-Finland-Web-27-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/ADF-Finland-Web-27-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/ADF-Finland-Web-27-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-37ffddc9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"37ffddc9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>OTTAWA<\/strong> <strong>(2 JUNE 2026)<\/strong> &#8211; Finnish parliamentarian P\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen, who was criminally convicted for a decades-old church booklet about marriage and sexual ethics, was invited to submit a testimony before the Canadian Senate Human Rights Committee on the C-9 bill concerning \u201chate speech\u201d.<\/p><p>In her testimony, submitted for the<a href=\"https:\/\/sencanada.ca\/en\/committees\/RIDR\/noticeofmeeting\/698304\/45-1\"> hearing on 1 June<\/a>, R\u00e4s\u00e4nen discussed her experience of facing a seven-year prosecution and three criminal trials for sharing her Christian beliefs about marriage on social media and in a booklet written for her church. Citing her narrow conviction by the Finnish Supreme Court, R\u00e4s\u00e4nen warned the Committee of the dangers of removing protections for religious speech in the public square.<\/p><p>The former Interior Minister\u2019s testimony comes as Canada\u2019s House of Commons considers Bill C-9, which proposes to weaken protections for speech on religious matters in the Canadian criminal code.<\/p><p>The bill, among other things, removes a provision that protects religious statements made in \u201cgood faith\u201d, potentially criminalising religious speech that would otherwise be lawful.<\/p><p>If passed, the bill would enable the prosecution of religious speech if the courts consider that it \u201cwilfully promotes hatred against any identifiable group\u201d. It carries a punishment of up to two years\u2019 imprisonment.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3890f215 elementor-blockquote--skin-border elementor-widget elementor-widget-blockquote\" data-id=\"3890f215\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"blockquote.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"elementor-blockquote\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-blockquote__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span style=\"color: #AF272F\">\u201cMy experience in Finland has shown me that laws which criminalize speech have a very real cost not only to individuals, but also society at large. <\/span>They encourage law-abiding citizens to censor their speech, and deprive wider society of conversations of critical importance.\"\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-q-footer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"elementor-blockquote__author\">- P\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen<\/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<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-60cd4563 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"60cd4563\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In her testimony, R\u00e4s\u00e4nen emphasised the dangers that \u201chate speech\u201d laws pose for fundamental freedoms and democratic societies:<\/p><p><em>\u201cCensorship is one of the greatest existential threats to today\u2019s democracies in Europe. You do not need to agree with my beliefs to see the danger of criminalizing peaceful speech. When the state controls which ideas and beliefs may be expressed, democracy becomes fragile. My case reveals where this path can lead.<\/em><\/p><p><em>\u201cMy experience in Finland has shown me that laws which criminalize speech have a very real cost not only to individuals, but also society at large. They encourage law-abiding citizens to censor their speech, and deprive wider society of conversations of critical importance. <\/em><\/p><p>R\u00e4s\u00e4nen further warned against ambiguous \u201chate speech\u201d legislation that criminalises the peaceful expression of certain beliefs. She recalled the Finnish Supreme Court\u2019s decision to uphold her conviction despite acknowledging that her booklet <em>\u201cdid not contain incitement to violence or comparable threat-like fomenting of hatred\u201d<\/em>.<\/p><p>She added that censorial legislation has negative consequences both for those prosecuted and others who will no longer feel able to express their views:<\/p><p><em>\u201cEven when courts ultimately acquit, our story shows how the process itself becomes the punishment. We have faced years of investigation, public scrutiny, and legal uncertainty. This creates a chilling effect, not just for Christians, but for everyone who holds views outside a narrow, state-approved consensus\u2026 Through fear, \u201chate speech\u201d laws undermine public discourse and drive diverse views from the public square.\u201d<\/em><\/p><p>R\u00e4s\u00e4nen concluded: <em>\u201cI look forward to the day when the fundamental right to free speech is upheld for all who seek to peacefully express their convictions.\u201d<\/em><\/p><p><strong>Background<\/strong><\/p><p>In March 2026, R\u00e4s\u00e4nen was <a href=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/breaking-finlands-supreme-court-acquits-parliamentarian-on-bible-tweet-convicts-her-for-insult-in-20-year-old-church\">found guilty<\/a> of \u201cinsult\u201d by the Finnish Supreme Court for expressing her Christian beliefs about human sexuality in a 2004 booklet produced for her church. Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola and the Luther Foundation Finland were convicted alongside her for publishing the booklet.<\/p><p>The long-serving Finnish parliamentarian\u2019s nearly seven-year criminal prosecution began after she shared her Christian beliefs about marriage and sexual ethics in a 2019 tweet, leading to a police investigation that resulted in further charges for expressing her beliefs in a 2019 live radio debate and authoring the 2004 church booklet.<\/p><p>Formally charged with \u201cagitation against a minority group\u201d in 2021, R\u00e4s\u00e4nen was acquitted on all charges by two lower courts in 2022 and 2023. Nevertheless, the state prosecutor appealed the decision concerning the Bible verse tweet and church booklet. In a narrow 3-2 ruling, the Finnish Supreme Court upheld the acquittal for the tweet but convicted R\u00e4s\u00e4nen, the Bishop and the Luther Foundation Finland for the booklet.<\/p><p>In May, R\u00e4s\u00e4nen announced her intention to <a href=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/finnish-parliamentarian-to-appeal-to-european-court-of-human-rights\">appeal her case to the European Court of Human Rights<\/a>, alongside Bishop Pohjola and the Luther Foundation Finland.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-684f3868 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"684f3868\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span 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data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"P\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen 1\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6MjU3NywidXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6XC9cL2FkZmludGVybmF0aW9uYWwub3JnXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDIxXC8xMlwvQURGLUZpbmxhbmQtV2ViLTI3LmpwZyIsInNsaWRlc2hvdyI6IjE3M2VlZTYyIn0%3D\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-gallery-image elementor-gallery-item__image\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/ADF-Finland-Web-27-1024x683.jpg\" data-width=\"1024\" data-height=\"683\" aria-label=\"P\u00e4ivi reads her bible in the Finnish Parliament building.\" role=\"img\" ><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\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\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>P\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen shares her experience of prosecution and conviction by Finnish authorities for peacefully expressing Christian beliefs about marriage and human sexuality R\u00e4s\u00e4nen submitted testimony as Canadian Senate considers amending criminal code to weaken protections for opinions expressed on religious subjects OTTAWA (2 JUNE 2026) &#8211; Finnish parliamentarian P\u00e4ivi R\u00e4s\u00e4nen, who was criminally convicted for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8065,"featured_media":2577,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[487,130,64,36,27],"class_list":["post-93961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-canada","tag-europe","tag-freedom-of-speech","tag-paivi","tag-religious-freedom"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO 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