A second major victory for Finnish Christian politician Päivi Räsänen. In an unanimous decision of its three judges, the Helsinki Court of Appeal has said she is not guilty of hate speech against homosexual people.

“I am grateful to God, my lawyer and all my supporters”, she expressed in a press conference just after the decision of the court was made public. “It is a privilege to defend freedom of speech. I appreciate the court's decision and I am proud of my country”, Räsänen said, according to quotes shared by Finnish reporter Karoliina Rauhio-Pokka with Evangelical Focus.

“It has been tough four years especially because the prosecutor misrepresented my views. For example, the prosecutor claimed that I would consider homosexuals less valuable than others. It is not true. I believe that all people are created in the image of God”, the politician continued. “At the same time, I believe that the marriage is only between a man and a woman”.

Talking to the public broadcaster YLE, Räsänen emphasised her “hope that this judgement serves as a precedent, as a kind of guideline decision so that others do not have to go through the same trials as I did”.

She ended by saying: “I want to encourage people to use their freedom of speech”.

Räsänen’s case began in 2019 when she tweeted a text from the Bible about homosexuality to say she disagreed with the Lutheran Church’s positions on LGBTQI Pride events. Later, the public prosecutor also investigated her for a booklet authored in 2004 titled Male and Female He made them.

The Christian medical doctor is a parliamentarian with the Finnish Christian Democrats, and was Interior Minister of the national government (2011-2015).

A second major victory in the courts

Päivi Räsänen has told Evangelical Focus in the past that she sees her case as a chance to encourage Christians to avoid self-censorship and lovingly but clearly speak about the Christian beliefs in the public arena.

The new defeat of the public prosecutor comes after the Helsinki Court District also acquitted Räsänen in March 2022.

By then, the case around the Christian politician and medical doctor's right to express her biblical beliefs about sexuality had already created a heated debate in Finland, with theologians both supporting and opposing her views.

Also in the rest of Europe, the case has been followed with interest. She has spoken in several international contexts, addressing the issue of the place of the Gospel in a post-Christian Europe.

To the Supreme Court?

Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola, part of the same court case, was also declared not guilty on 14 November. He was brought before the judge for distributing Räsanen's booklet.

But the court hearings may not be over at this point. State prosecutor Anu Mantila has already told the media that she would “seriously consider appeal the decision” and bring the case against Päivi Räsänen to the Supreme Court. If this higher court accepts the case, a new hearing would be held at the earliest on 2024.