Dr. Päivi Räsänen, the Finnish politician who was victorious in court this past November after facing a years-long legal battle for sharing her biblical views on sexuality, is back in the prosecution’s crosshairs.
Räsänen’s attorneys with ADF International released a statement Jan. 12, revealing the Finnish state prosecutor is appealing the case to Finland’s Supreme Court, potentially forcing Räsänen to once again defend her religious freedom rights.
But the member of parliament and former interior secretary said she’s not fearful of what’s to come if the Supreme Court does decide to take up the case.
“After my full exoneration in two courts, I’m not afraid of a hearing before the Supreme Court,” Räsänen said in a statement. “Even though I am fully aware that every trial carries risks, an acquittal from the Supreme Court would set an even stronger positive precedent for everyone’s right to free speech and religion.”
Even if Räsänen loses at the Supreme Court, she said she is prepared to take the case outside of her country to affirm her rights, fighting back against the hate speech charges she has incessantly faced throughout her years-long struggle.
“If the Court decided to overturn the lower courts’ acquittals, I am ready to defend freedom of speech and religion as far as the European Court of Human rights, if necessary,” she continued.
While Räsänen’s case has reportedly carried a risk of jail time upon conviction, ADF International said the prosecution wants “tens of thousands of Euros in fines” and censorship of a decades-old pamphlet written by Räsänen on the topic of biblical marriage.
Bishop Juhana Pohjola, a faith leader in Finland who published the pamphlet, is also facing charges.
After the Helsinki Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed the three criminal charges against in November, Räsänen told CBN Digital she was “grateful and relieved,” though she knew the chance of an appeal was possible. The deadline to file the appeal was Jan. 15, 2024.
“[The] acquittal was very clear and the result of the court was very clear,” Räsänen said at the time. “The prosecutor, she’s able to appeal to the Supreme Court. … And she said that she’s considering it.”
As CBN Digital reported, Räsänen’s plight began June 17, 2019, when she tweeted the text of Romans 1:24-27, which condemns homosexuality as sinful. She was alarmed at the time over a decision by her denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, to support an LGBTQ Pride event, so she responded by sharing Scripture on her X account, sparking a criminal complaint.
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Reprinted with permission from faithwire.com. Copyright © 2024 The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. All rights reserved.
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