01/11/2023 Finland (International Christian Concern) – In a win for religious freedom, the Helsinki Court of Appeals found Christian Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola not guilty. The two had been accused of inciting hate-speech after sharing their beliefs on biblical marriage.
Räsänen, who expressed her beliefs on social media, was facing charges under a section in the Finnish criminal code titled “War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.” Pohjola faced charges for publishing a booklet on biblical marriage, which Räsänen wrote almost 20 years ago.
Despite Räsänen and Pohjola having been acquitted by a lower district court in March 2022, the prosecution continued with their agenda of censoring Christian beliefs – a battle that has proven costly for them as this most recent decision ordered the prosecution to pay tens of thousands in fees to cover the costs for Räsänen and Pohjola.
The prosecution has a deadline of January 15 to appeal, should they decide to continue their fight.
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