9/1/2025 Finland (International Christian Concern) — Dr. Päivi Räsänen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola, the center of a years-long legal drama over free speech and freedom of religion in Finland, will go to trial for a third time on Oct. 30, 2025. This trial will now take place before the Finnish Supreme Court, despite two lower court rulings in favor of Dr. Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola.

“It is shocking that after two unanimous acquittals, Päivi Räsänen is again being dragged to court to defend her fundamental right to freedom of speech,” said Paul Coleman, Executive Director of ADF International and one of the attorneys helping to defend Dr. Räsänen.

“As we have warned for years, vaguely worded ‘hate speech’ laws allow ideological prosecutions like this to take place. We stand behind Päivi, and we will continue to work toward the bigger victory when such ludicrous cases are no longer brought. In a free and democratic society, all should be allowed to share their beliefs without fear of punishment.”

Päivi Räsänen has become a familiar name among international religious freedom defenders, though not for the reasons she deserves. Dr. Räsänen served her country in Finland’s legislature, then as the country’s Minister of the Interior, and is a dedicated mother, grandmother, and medical doctor.

However, Dr. Räsänen came into international attention when she was criminally charged with hate speech against the LGBT community. The alleged acts concerned a 2019 tweet with a Bible verse questioning the Lutheran Church’s support of a pride parade, along with statements in 2004 she made in a church pamphlet and a radio debate sharing her beliefs on Biblical marriage and sexuality.

Dr. Räsänen, along with the Lutheran bishop who published the pamphlet, was criminally investigated and then charged with “agitation against a minority group” back in 2021. Since then, a trial court and an appeals court have heard the case, and both courts found them not guilty. However, Finland is one of the only nations that allows “not guilty” verdicts to be appealed, and the prosecution has insisted on taking this case to the country’s highest court.

“It isn’t a crime to tweet a Bible verse, or to engage in public discourse from a Christian perspective,” said Dr. Räsänen. “The attempts to criminalize me for expressing my beliefs have resulted in an immensely trying last few years, but I still hope for a positive result that will stand as a key precedent to protect the human right to free speech in Finland.”

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