The case against Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola will be heard by the Supreme Court of Finland on Thursday.
Räsänen, who has previously served as Finland’s Interior Minister, has been dragged through the courts for years because of a tweet in which she quoted the Bible.
In 2019 Räsänen published a tweet questioning the appropriateness of her denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, being a sponsor for a Pride event in Helsinki.
The tweet included an image of a Bible verse from Romans chapter 1, which states, “The men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.”
Her other alleged infraction involves a 2004 pamphlet published by Bishop Pohjola, in which she expressed traditional Christian views on sexual ethics and marriage. She publicly stated those views again during a radio show in 2019.
Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola were tried in 2022 under a section of Finnish law that deals with “war crimes and crimes against humanity”. Despite being acquitted both at the original trial and at the Helsinki Court of Appeals last November, the country’s state prosecutor has decided to appeal the verdict yet again.
Räsänen has previously indicated her willingness to keep fighting this matter till the very end, saying "After my full exoneration in two courts, I'm not afraid of a hearing before the Supreme Court."
Paul Coleman, Executive Director of ADF International, and a part of Räsänen’s legal team, said ahead of the Supreme Court hearing, “Free societies should never criminalize peaceful expression. Yet for over six years, Päivi Räsänen has endured interrogations, trials, and appeals for simply sharing a belief rooted in her faith.
“The outcome of this case will set a precedent not only for Finland, but also for free speech across Europe. It’s time to reaffirm that democracy depends on the right to speak freely—even when others disagree.”
