A former Finnish government minister has submitted her defense to the Supreme Court of Finland as she once again stands trial for a tweet that included Bible verses.
In June 2019, former Minister of the Interior Paivi Rasanen of the conservative Christian Democrats party questioned the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, of which she is an active member, regarding its sponsorship of that year's LGBT pride parade in the Finnish capital of Helsinki.
To express her grievances, Rasanen took to Twitter. Her tweet was accompanied by Bible verses which, 13 hours later, led to her being interrogated by Finnish police about her Christian beliefs. She was reportedly asked repeatedly to explain to the police her understanding of the Bible.
The police also investigated a church pamphlet she authored in 2004 titled "Male and Female He Created Them: Homosexual Relationships Challenge the Christian Concept of Humanity."
Since then, Prosecutor General of Finland Raija Toiviainen has levied three criminal "hate speech" charges against Rasanen, wherein she endured a total of 13 hours of interrogation, months of waiting for court procedures, two onerous trials and countless lies spread by the media. (Related: New “hate speech” law in Poland would punish people who “insult” LGBT ideology with 3 years in prison.)
The "hate speech" charges fall under the "war crimes and crimes against humanity" section of the Finnish Criminal Code. In August 2023, she faced her second trial at the Finnish Court of Appeal. Now, she stands trial for the third time.
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Fortunately, the state prosecutor appealed the case. Her legal team, supported by ADF International, has argued for the dismissal of the case and for costs to be awarded to Rasanen. They claim that international law protects her right to freedom of expression and that hate speech laws do not negate this right. The defense also stated that Rasanen has consistently advocated for the dignity and non-discrimination of all people.
"Vague or far-reaching laws against advocacy of hatred, or blasphemy, offense to religious feelings and similar offenses are not only arbitrary; they can also lead to the direct and structural marginalization of religious or belief communities," the defense stated.
Human Rights advocates condemn the charges against Rasanen
The situation has attracted international media attention and provoked outrage from human rights experts.
Paul Coleman, the executive director of ADF International, compared Rasanen's case to something from the Middle Ages, warning of "creeping censorship" in Europe's historically free nations.
"In a democratic Western nation in 2024, nobody should be on trial for their faith — yet throughout the prosecution of Paivi Rasanen and Bishop Pohjola, we have seen something akin to a 'heresy' trial, where Christians are dragged through court for holding beliefs that differ from the approved orthodoxy of the day," Coleman said.
The state's persistence in pursuing Rasanen and Pohjola, for nearly five years despite multiple acquittals is "alarming," Coleman added, expressing concern that "the process is the punishment in such cases, creating a chilling effect on free speech for all citizens."
"Their right to speak freely is everyone's right to speak freely," he concluded.
Watch the full episode of "Renz Rants" with Tom Renz discussing how leftists continue to promote the LGBTQIA+ agenda.
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