HELSINKI, Finland — A Finnish court dismissed all charges against a Parliament member accused of “hate speech” for expressing her views on marriage and human sexuality.
The unanimous ruling of Helsinki District Court on March 30 upheld freedom of speech for Dr. Paivi Rasanen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola, reported the legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom International.
The charges against Rasanen — a Lutheran, medical doctor and former minister of the interior — stemmed from information about marriage and human sexuality she included in a pamphlet she wrote in 2004 for a Christian foundation, comments she made on radio in 2019 and on television in 2018, and a tweet in which she criticized her church’s decision to sponsor the LGBT “Pride 2019” event.
Pohjola was charged for having published one of Rasanen’s pamphlets for his congregation 17 years ago.
In the ruling, the court states, “It is not for the district court to interpret biblical concepts,” ADF International reported. Additionally, the court ordered the prosecution to pay legal costs of 60,000 euros (more than $66,900 USD).
Paul Coleman, executive director of ADF International, called dismissal of the charges “an important decision, which upholds the fundamental right to freedom of speech in Finland. In a free society, everyone should be allowed to share their beliefs without fear of censorship.”
Share with others: