Acquittal for Päivi Räsänen’s 2019 Bible verse tweet unanimously upheld; Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola found guilty in 3-2 decision for expressing their faith-based beliefs in a church pamphlet
Continue reading
Mairead McGuiness is the new EU Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) outside the EU
Continue reading
The Finnish Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling tomorrow in the case of Finnish Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola, who have been criminally charged with “hate speech” for publicly expressing their Christian beliefs.
Continue reading
The daughters have been separated from their parents, and each other, since December 2022, absent any evidence of abuse, and despite deteriorating health conditions in foster care and repeated wish to be reunited.
European Court of Human Rights deems case inadmissible on the grounds of failure to exhaust legal remedies in Sweden.
STRASBOURG (10 March 2026) – The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled a case brought by Christian parents Daniel and Bianca Samson against Sweden as inadmissible. The parents were seeking justice before the court to regain custody of their daughters, claiming a severe violation of their parental rights. The decision of inadmissibility is final and cannot be appealed. ADF International lawyers are now reviewing the decision together with the parents and assessing possible next steps.
The two eldest daughters of the Samson family were taken by the state in December 2022 after the eldest made a false report at school over her parents’ refusal to give her a phone and allow makeup, prompting allegations of “religious extremism,” even though she promptly retracted. The daughters have been separated from their parents, and each other, since December 2022, even though the state found no evidence of abuse.
“Parents have the primary responsibility and right to raise their children. When the state interferes with family life based on values-based parenting choices or discrimination on the basis of faith, fundamental freedoms are at stake."
“We deeply regret the Court’s decision to reject this case, considering that this family has been torn apart for over three years despite a full investigation that cleared Mr. and Mrs. Samson of any abuse and the fact that the Social Services certified their capacity and fitness for parenting after they successfully completed an official training. Families should be free to live according to their convictions without fear of losing their children to the state,” said Guillermo A. Morales Sancho, Legal Counsel for ADF International.
The European Court of Human Rights deemed the case inadmissible on the grounds of failure to exhaust legal remedies in Sweden, despite the legal team’s assessment that there were no further options for domestic recourse.
Specifically, the Court indicated that it did not consider there to be an apparent violation of the right to respect for private life under the European Convention on Human Rights. It further suggested that questions relating to freedom of religion may be raised before national courts, an option the Samsons may now pursue.
Background
The couple of Romanian origin, who had been residing in Sweden for close to a decade, claim that Swedish authorities ignored the best interests of their children by refusing to reunite the family. The forced separation continued even after all allegations against the parents were dropped and prosecutors found no evidence of abuse. The case raises serious concerns about delays, overreach, and possible discrimination against Christians in Sweden’s child welfare system. The state has cited the family’s regular attendance at church three times a week to corroborate accusations of “religious extremism,” despite the fact that this simply reflects their religious beliefs and is a protected action under international human rights law.
The Samsons currently are only allowed one supervised visit per month. This is complicated by the fact that the girls are placed in different foster care homes far away from each other.
See our case page for more information: https://adfinternational.org/cases/samson-family
Strasbourg (17 February 2026) — The Turkish government has formally rejected the European Parliament’s recent resolution condemning targeted expulsions from the country “carried out under unsubstantiated national-security pretexts and without due process” for foreign Christians, in addition to journalists.
In a statement issued on 13 February, a day after the vote, Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the resolution as containing “unfounded allegations” and characterized it as interference in the country’s internal affairs.
The European Parliament adopted the resolution by an overwhelming margin (502 votes in favor and 2 against) signaling broad cross-party concern over what lawmakers described as the misuse of national security frameworks to restrict fundamental rights, including freedom of religion. The resolution followed the European Court of Human Rights’ decision at the beginning of February to take up 20 cases involving foreign Christians who were expelled or banned from re-entering Türkiye.
These cases, the majority of which are supported by ADF International, stem from the Turkish government’s use of security codes, typically reserved for terrorist activity, to designate peaceful foreign Christian residents as threats to national security and block them from entering or remaining in the country despite longstanding lawful residence. The missionaries deported come from several countries across Europe, including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Germany. More than a dozen are originally from the United States.
“The Turkish government’s rejection of the European Parliament’s vote shows a clear lack of respect for its human rights obligations.When a government weaponizes national security mechanisms to target peaceful missionaries and faith communities, they must not be allowed to act with impunity.”
The European Parliament resolution specifically addresses the expulsion of foreign Christian missionaries, all legally residing in the Türkiye and many of whom were long-term residents of the country, through security codes that have resulted in deportations, re-entry bans, and loss of residency status. Lawmakers raised concerns about the lack of transparency, limited judicial review, and restricted access to evidence in these cases.
During the debate on the resolution European Member of Parliament Sokol (EPP) stated:
“These deportations of Christians in Türkiye for reasons of national security are one more attack on Christians, the most persecuted religious minority around the world. (…) The EU cannot talk of human rights and then remain silent when Christians are facing problems in Africa or persecution in a neighboring country. We must stand up for freedom of religion everywhere without any double standards. (…) Türkiye must put a stop to these deportations of Christians.”
Cases of Expelled Christians Now Before the European Court of Human Rights
The 20 pending cases before Europe’s top human rights court challenge the compatibility of the security-based expulsions with human rights protections for religious freedom, family life, and due process under the European Convention on Human Rights.
The government’s use of these codes effectively labels individuals as a “threat to public order and security,” a classification normally reserved for terrorism suspects. However, those targeted have no criminal records and no evidence of unlawful conduct—the only thing that they have in common is openly practicing and sharing their Christian faith.
The 2024 Human Rights Violation Report presented by the Protestant Church Association records 132 people who have been arbitrarily branded with an entry ban code, preventing them from entering Türkiye solely on the basis of their Christian faith. The total number of those affected is 303, according to the report.
ADF International provides legal support to affected individuals seeking justice before the European Court of Human Rights and calls on Turkish authorities to ensure that security measures are applied consistently with international human rights obligations.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 4) – Today, experts from Europe delivered a warning to the U.S. Congress about the growing threat of European censorship to American free speech.
Finnish Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen addressed lawmakers in a hearing titled “Europe’s Threat to Speech and Innovation: Part II,” hosted by the House Judiciary Committee. In her testimony, she detailed her ongoing criminal prosecution in Finland for expressing her Christian beliefs online, including in a 2019 Bible-verse tweet. Räsänen’s case has become one of the most prominent examples of the criminalization of peaceful speech in Europe.
“Speech that is lawful today can become criminalized tomorrow. This should concern every person that values freedom,” Räsänen said. “My case shows where this path can lead. Recent developments from the European Union, like the Digital Services Act, make European censorship a worldwide concern.”
Prosecuted for over six years under a “hate speech” provision in the section of Finland’s criminal code pertaining to war crimes and crimes against humanity, Räsänen is currently awaiting a verdict from the Supreme Court of Finland. Her legal defence has been coordinated by ADF International.
“When the state controls which ideas and beliefs may be expressed, democracy becomes fragile,” Räsänen added.
“Speech that is lawful today can become criminalized tomorrow. This should concern every person that values freedom. My case shows where this path can lead. Recent developments from the European Union, like the Digital Services Act, make European censorship a worldwide concern."
Lorcán Price, Irish barrister and Legal Counsel with ADF International, also testified before the Committee, outlining how the European Union is using online speech regulations such as the Digital Service Act to create a dangerous worldwide censorship regime.
“It is now undeniable that the reach of the DSA is not just a European problem,” Price said in his testimony. “The Commission has fired the first shots in a global struggle over whether people can speak the truth and whether American companies including Google, Bing, and Meta are free to continue to drive Internet innovation or instead be forced to help Europe silence speech worldwide.”
Price warned that the EU’s speech restrictions risk being exported globally, particularly through large online platforms that operate across borders, raising concerns for Americans whose lawful speech could be restricted through foreign censorship.
He cited the DSA’s first major fine of €120 million against X, which was issued in December for alleged violations of transparency and user-protection obligations.
“The enormous fines levied on X by the EU commission proved beyond all doubt that the EU means to strangle free speech by a systematic assault on US companies,” Price said. In his written testimony, he added, “While these penalties are the first that the EU has imposed under the provisions of the DSA, be under no illusions, they will not be the last.”
Graham Lineham, an Irish comedian and writer who was arrested for his X posts in September 2025 in London, also provided a witness testimony on the panel.
The hearing follows a recent report from the House Judiciary Committe previous House Judiciary Committee session on the threat of Europe’s growing censorship, during which Price also testified, warning lawmakers that European censorship laws threaten free expression far beyond the European Union. The initial hearing focused largely on the EU’s Digital Services Act and its implications for Americans’ online speech. Most recently, The House Judiciary Committee warned about the DSA’s risks to American free speech in a new report “The Foreign Censorship Threat, Part II: Europe’s Decade-Long Campaign to Censor the Global Internet and How it Harms American Speech in the United States.”
The DSA grants the European Commission broad authority to regulate content on large online platforms. While framed as an online safety measure, the law creates strong incentives for platforms to remove lawful speech through heavy fines, government oversight, and reliance on “trusted flaggers” to identify allegedly problematic content. Because major platforms operate globally, the DSA risks establishing a de facto worldwide censorship regime that affects users far beyond Europe.
ADF International has been at the forefront of raising concerns about the DSA and defending individuals targeted under Europe’s expanding speech laws, including providing legal support in Räsänen’s case, which has drawn international attention as a warning of the erosion of fundamental freedoms.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 30) – The U.S. House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing titled “Europe’s Threat to Speech and Innovation: Part II,” examining how European speech laws and censorship regimes are impacting free expression, innovation, and democratic debate.
Witnesses, including Finnish Parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen and ADF International legal expert Lorcán Price, will warn lawmakers of Europe’s expanding speech restrictions, including criminal prosecutions for peaceful expression. These restrictions pose serious threats to fundamental freedoms and risk being exported beyond Europe to the United States. Graham Linehan, an Irish comedian who was arrested for his X posts in September 2025, will also serve as a witness on the panel.
Räsänen’s case has become one of Europe’s most prominent examples of the criminalization of speech, after she was criminally charged and put on trial for expressing her Christian beliefs online in a 2019 tweet. She is currently awaiting a verdict after facing criminal trial before the Supreme Court of Finland in October.
Price will offer testimony regarding Europe’s censorship crisis and the European Union’s attack on free speech using the Digital Services Act (DSA), which is one of the most dangerous restrictions on free speech in the digital age. The House Judiciary Committee warned about the DSA’s risks to American free speech in its July report “The Foreign Censorship Threat: How the European Union’s Digital Services Act Compels Global Censorship and Infringes on American Free Speech”.
When:
Feb. 4, beginning at 10 a.m. EST
Where:
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C., and via livestream
Media Attendance:
Members of the media are encouraged to attend the hearing in person or view the livestream. Interviews with speakers may be requested in advance.
To schedule interviews or for additional information, contact ADF International Communications Officer, Anna Rose Myrick at [email protected] or (480)-371-7941.
BRUSSELS (9 December 2025) – A UK citizen and Canadian campaigner are seeking compensation after they were arrested by Brussels authorities for peacefully expressing views about the harmful effects of puberty blockers on children.
On 5 June 2025, Belgian police detained Chris Elston (known online as “Billboard Chris”) and ADF International’s Lois McLatchie Miller while they were conducting man-on-the-street interviews about gender ideology and the harmful effects of puberty blockers on children. To prompt conversation, they held signs reading: “Children are never born in the wrong body,” and “Children cannot consent to puberty blockers”.
“It is scandalous to expose children to puberty blockers, and it is scandalous to silence and jail those who speak out about it. No one should fear arrest for defending children's safety.”
With the support of ADF International and Belgian legal counsel, Elston and McLatchie Miller have issued a formal demand letter to the Brussels Chief of Police, as well as to the ombudsman, the city, the police inspectorate, and the state.
You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationImages for free use in print or online in relation to this story only
Pictured: Chris Elston, Lois McLatchie Miller
Members of the European Parliament, human rights advocates, and survivors of persecution gathered at the European Parliament on December 4th to spotlight the escalating violence and discrimination faced by Christian communities across South Asia.
Continue reading
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against Poland following a challenge brought by a woman who had travelled abroad for an abortion after the country’s Constitutional Tribunal struck down eugenic abortion in 2020.
Continue readingYou are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou need to load content from reCAPTCHA to submit the form. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou are currently viewing a placeholder content from Facebook. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou need to load content from reCAPTCHA to submit the form. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou are currently viewing a placeholder content from X. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More Information
