A battle for Religious Freedom which garnered worldwide attention received an incredible court victory Wednesday, with the District Court unanimously dismissing all charges of ‘hate speech’ against former Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen.
According to a Press Release from Alliance Defending Freedom, the Helsinki judges concluded that “it is not for the district court to interpret Biblical concepts” and ordered the prosecution to pay over 60,000 euros in legal costs. The prosecution has also been given seven days to appeal the court decision.
Throughout the ordeal, Räsänen underscored the importance of recognizing that it was not a case against her but, more accurately, the Bible was being put on trial.
“I am so grateful the court recognized the threat to free speech and ruled in our favor,” Räsänen said Wednesday following the victory. “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.”
It all began when Räsänen shared her Christian beliefs on Twitter in 2019 surrounding marriage and sexuality. In the tweet, she asked how a churches leadership could Biblically justify taking part in sinful homosexual “pride” celebrations, including verses from Romans 1:24-27. That 2019 tweet, along with a 2019 radio interview and 2004 pamphlet, caused the former interior minister to endure multiple police interrogations, where they questioned her on her beliefs, and a charge of “hate speech.”
During the days of her trial, crowds gathered outside the courthouse, and thousands stood outside of the Finnish consulate in Hungry in support of the former MP’s right to free speech.
“We welcome the Helsinki District Court’s ruling. This is an important decision, which upholds the fundamental right to freedom of speech in Finland. In a free society, everyone should be allowed to share their beliefs without fear of censorship. This is the foundation of every free and democratic society. Criminalizing speech through so-called ‘hate-speech’ laws shuts down important public debates and poses a grave threat to our democracies,” Paul Coleman, executive director of ADF International, stated.
In January, five Senators in the United States penned a letter to the newly confirmed U.S. Ambassador-At-Large for International Religious Freedom, expressing concern about the threat to “cherished freedom,” insisting that the U.S. “cannot remain silent on human rights abuses even when they are being committed by a friend and ally.”
Prior to her trial, Räsänen underscored that Christians have a duty not to remain silent on Biblically defined morality.
“Now it is time to speak, because the more we are silent, the narrower the space for freedom of speech and religion grows,” she asserted. “I will continue to stand for what I believe and what I have written. And I will speak and write about these things, because they are a matter of conviction, not only an opinion.”
As wonderful as the ruling is for Päivi and free speech, Tony Perkins, President of FRC and member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, maintained that it is also “a warning about the rise of authoritarian governments in the West targeting Christians for living according to Biblical truth.”
As reported by Decision Magazine, The National Committee for Religious Freedom, echoed Perkins’ warning, writing: “While we celebrate the not guilty verdict … we also remain on guard against such state-sponsored persecution in America. This should never have gone to trial.”
