Finnish politician Päivi Räsänen, who was on trial for allegations of "hate speech," was unanimously acquitted of all charges by the Helsinki Court of Appeal on Tuesday. The same applies to Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola, who was co-defendant with her.
Räsänen, a former Finnish Interior Minister, was charged in 2021 with "ethnic agitation," an offense listed in the Finnish penal code under "war crimes and crimes against humanity."
The incriminating tweet from 2019 cited biblical verses, and the 2004 pamphlet "He Created Them Male and Female" outlined Räsänen's Christian position on marriage and sexual ethics. Pohjola was charged due to the publication of this pamphlet.
After being acquitted in the first instance in spring 2022, the prosecutor appealed. The trial attracted international attention, as the prosecutor targeted fundamental Christian content: the word "sin" was stigmatized as offensive, and Räsänen's view on biblical teaching was labeled as "criminal."
However, the District Court had already stated in 2022, during the first-instance acquittal, that it was not within its competence to judge biblical concepts. The Court of Appeal followed this opinion, stating that "there is no reason to judge the case differently from the District Court based on the evidence presented at the main hearing. Therefore, there is no reason to modify the District Court's judgment." There must be "a compelling reason to restrict freedom of expression."
Räsänen expressed relief at the judicial confirmation that it is not criminal to tweet a Bible verse or to participate in public debate from a Christian perspective.
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Paul Coleman, a member of Räsänen's defense team and executive director of the human rights defense organization ADF International, welcomed the judgment for protecting freedom of expression:
"We celebrate this success for freedom of speech. Four long years of police investigations, criminal prosecutions, and trials are behind Päivi. We welcome the Court of Appeal's judgment."
The goal, however, is "that such absurd cases are no longer brought before the courts. [...] The criminalization of speech through so-called 'hate speech' laws hinders public debate and poses a serious threat to our democracies. I am very relieved that the courts are upholding the rule of law."
Coleman emphasized that authorities who censor speech they dislike are clearly overstepping their competence.
Following this new judicial defeat, the prosecutor can now appeal the case to the Supreme Court within two weeks.
This article was originally published by Catholic News Agency and then translated by LeCatho | Original link.