Christian MP Päivi Räsänen acquitted of all charges of “incitement to hatred” for defending biblical sexuality

Päivi Räsänen, a Christian politician, was exonerated of charges of “incitement to hatred” for referring to Bible verses, in a unanimous ruling issued by the three judges of the Court of Appeals in Helsinki, Finland.

Christian MP Päivi Räsänen acquitted of all charges of “incitement to hatred” for defending biblical sexuality.

She expressed feeling relieved after receiving the verdict in a situation that has had her on trial for several years for citing and defending the sexuality described in the Bible.

“I am deeply relieved. The court has fully endorsed and upheld the decision of the district court, which recognized everyone’s right to free speech,” said Päivi Räsänen in a statement, according to CBN News.

“It isn’t a crime to tweet a Bible verse, or to engage in public discourse with a Christian perspective,” she added.

On Tuesday 14, Räsänen held a press conference at the Helsinki Court of Appeals after being informed of the ruling, in which she thanked God for the court’s decision.

“I am grateful to God, my lawyer and all my supporters”, she expressed in a press conference just after the decision of the court was made public. “It is a privilege to defend freedom of speech. I appreciate the court’s decision and I am proud of my country”, Räsänen said, according to quotes shared by Finnish reporter Karoliina Rauhio-Pokka with Evangelical Focus.

Päivi was facing her second legal proceeding in a four-year court dispute. The former leader of the Christian Democratic Party of Finland had already been acquitted by the Helsinki District Court in 2022.

However, the prosecutor requested reconsideration of her case and appealed the not guilty verdict in April last year.

In 2019, the Christian political leader was charged with hate speech and sued for publicly expressing biblical teachings on sexuality on three occasions: through a tweet, in a religious pamphlet in 2004 and during a radio interview in 2019.

Paivi was the subject of a police investigation due to a booklet titled “Man and Woman, He Created Them,” which she had published 15 years earlier, as well as for comments made during a radio program.

She was also the subject of criminal charges for a social media post in which she censured leaders of the Finnish Lutheran Church for supporting Sexual Diversity Month.

Paul Coleman, author of ‘Censored: How European Hate Speech Laws are Threatening Freedom of Speech’ and Executive Director of ADF International, the legal advocacy organization supporting Räsänen’s defense, expressed concern about freedom of expression and the risk of censorship in Europe.

“When a longstanding and respected Finnish parliamentarian is put on trial twice for sharing her deeply held beliefs in a tweet four years ago, you know regard for free speech in Europe has hit a new low,” Coleman said.

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