2024-04-20 13:48:27
Finland’s Supreme Court has confirmed that Christian parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen will be tried for the third time over her publication of Bible verses criticizing the Finnish Lutheran Church for promoting LGBT “pride month”.
The publication, made five years ago, resulted in a lawsuit filed by the country’s Public Ministry. In recent years, Päivi Räsänen has twice won the case in Finnish court, with the most recent being in November last year, with unanimous acquittal at the Helsinki Court of Appeal.
For the third time, the Public Prosecutor’s Office is appealing the court’s decision, charging tens of thousands of euros in fines and the censorship of the publication made by the deputy in the former Twitterand also the ban on the circulation of a booklet written by her in partnership with Bishop Juahana Pohjola, of the diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission of Finland.
In the work in question, published 20 years ago, Päivi and Bishop Pohjola denounced the “shame and sin” that homosexuality represents in the light of biblical doctrine. The booklet, titled Male and Female, He Created Them: Homosexual Relationships Challenge the Christian Concept of Humanitywas considered by prosecutors as “agitation against a minority group”, which in Finnish law falls under the types of “war crimes and crimes against humanity”.
Half a decade
Throughout this period, the deputy and the bishop have been defended by lawyers from the International Alliance in Defense of Freedom (ADF). Throughout the period in which the process has dragged on, the international repercussion has led to indignation among human rights experts, as the prosecutors’ request involves curtailing freedoms of expression and religion.
“In my case, the investigation lasted almost five years, involved false accusations, several lengthy police interrogations totaling more than 13 hours, preparations for court hearings, a hearing at the District Court and a hearing at the Court of Appeal,” said Päivi.
“It’s not just about my opinions, but about everyone’s freedom of expression, which is a fundamental right in a democratic State. I hope that, with the Supreme Court’s decision, others will not have to go through the same ordeal”, she added, showing confidence that she will win the case once again.
Paul Coleman, executive director of ADF International, compared Räsänen’s case to Catholic practices in the Middle Ages, warning about the “increasing censorship” afflicting the historically free nations of Europe:
“In a democratic Western nation in 2024, no one should be judged for their faith – but during the proceedings against Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola, we saw something akin to a ‘heresy’ trial, where Christians were dragged through the courtroom for holding beliefs that differ from the approved orthodoxy of the time”, he concluded, according to information from the portal The Christian Post.
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