‘I Am Dismayed’: Prosecutors Will Reportedly Appeal After Finnish Politician Tried for Biblical Views Is Acquitted By Billy Hallowell for Faith Wire
Christians around the globe rejoiced when a Finnish court dismissed all hate speech charges against lawmaker and former interior minister Päivi Räsänen — but it seems her legal battle is reigniting.
Finnish prosecutors reportedly intend to appeal the March 30 decision from the Helsinki District Court to throw out charges, meaning Räsänen’s religious freedom battle is far from over.
Her attorneys with ADF International were reportedly told of the appeal last Wednesday after Prosecutor General Raija Toiviainen’s office told a local attorney the case will be appealed.
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The politician, in reaction to reports about an appeal, said she’s in “dismay,” according to Christian Today.
“This case has been hanging over me and my family for almost three years,” she said. “After my full exoneration in court, I am dismayed that the prosecutor will not let this campaign against me drop.”
Räsänen continued, “Once again, I am prepared to defend freedom of speech and religion not just for me, but for everyone. I am grateful for all those who have stood by me during this ordeal and ask for their continued support.”
As Faithwire previously reported, Räsänen, whose criminal trial began Jan. 24 and ended Feb. 14, was charged with violating the dignity and equality of the LGBTQ population by engaging in purported hate speech.
But what’s the history behind the troubling, free speech case? Räsänen told Faithwire in February her plight began June 17, 2019, when she tweeted the text of Romans 1:24-27, which condemns homosexuality as sinful.
At the time, Räsänen was alarmed over a decision by her denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, to support an LGBTQ Pride event, so she responded by sharing Scripture on her Twitter account.
“This was quite shocking to me, and I was thinking, ‘What should I do now?’” she said of the church’s support for the event. “In fact, I was praying, ‘Is it now my time to resign the church as some of my friends have done?’”
