Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola faced a second trial for their ‘hate speech’ charges. “The point isn’t whether it is true or not, but that it’s insulting”, argues State prosecutor. LEARN MORE.
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A verdict on the second trial is expected by 30 November.
Finnish State prosecutor levies more arguments for censorship
#FreeSpeechOnTrial
Topic | Freedom of Speech
Update: After a unanimous court decision and strong recommendation by the police not to proceed with prosecution in the first place, the Finnish state prosecutor has filed her appeal to push criminal proceedings against MP and bishop into their fourth year.
Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola were unanimously acquitted of all “hate speech” charges on 30 March 2022. The Helsinki District Court concluded that “it is not for the district court to interpret biblical concepts”. However, the Finnish state prosecutor has pushed criminal proceedings against the MP and bishop into their fourth year by appealing the victory.
“I am so grateful the court recognized the threat to free speech and ruled in our favour. I feel a weight has been lifted off my shoulders after being acquitted. Although I am grateful for having had this chance to stand up for freedom of speech, I hope that this ruling will help prevent others from having to go through the same ordeal,” said Päivi Räsänen after her victory.
The Finnish Prosecutor General brought three criminal charges against Päivi Räsänen at the end of April 2021. The medical doctor, mother of five, and grandmother of ten was accused of having engaged in “hate speech” for publicly voicing her opinion on marriage and human sexuality in a 2004 pamphlet, for comments made during a 2019 radio debate, and a tweet she directed at her church leadership. Bishop Pohjola, the Chairman of the International Lutheran Council, was charged for having published the pamphlet that Räsänen authored.
“I will defend my right to confess my faith, so that no one else would be deprived of their right to freedom of religion and speech. The more Christians keep silent on controversial themes, the narrower the space for freedom of speech grows.”
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. Räsänen has already attended several lengthy 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. Räsänen then faced trial on 24 January and 14 February 2022 and was fully acquitted by the Helsinki District Court in March 2022. The prosecution appealed Räsänen’s victory and Räsänen and the bishop face trial in August 2023. ADF International will continue supporting Räsänen’s defence and the right for everyone to freely share their beliefs.
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 ten 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“.
The criminal trial of Finnish parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola is underway before the Helsinki Court of Appeal.
The criminal trial of Finnish parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola is underway before the Helsinki Court of Appeal.
Päivi Räsänen’s criminal “hate speech” appeal trial begins tomorrow Aug 31st. Räsänen available for questions at online press conference hosted by ADF International on Sep 1st.
Päivi Räsänen will be available for questions at an online press conference hosted by ADF International on 1st Sep at 17:00 CEST (11:00 EDT) after her trial
Will free speech in Finland prevail? Finnish Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen is hopeful as the anniversary of her acquittal approaches. The Finnish state prosecutor has continued her censorship campaign against Räsänen as she faces a second trial over her Bible tweet post.
Let’s take Finnish MP Räsänen’s words to heart: “Now it is time to speak. Because the more we are silent, the narrower the space for freedom of speech and religion grows.”
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