Finnish Christian Democratic MP Dr Päivi Räsänen has declared she is ‘ready to defend free speech and freedom of religion’.
Her statement comes as the Prosecutor General for Finland announced that she would – for the second time - appeal against Mrs Räsänen’s prior acquittals, and take the case before Finland’s Supreme Court. Both the District Court and the Court of Appeal had, in a series of court battles stretching back almost two years, earlier rejected all charges against her and Lutheran bishop Juhana Pohjola.
Rasanen was prosecuted in the lower courts for calling homosexual practice ‘a shameful sin’ and for writing a brochure entitled ‘Male and female He created them’. A third charge, concerning her remarks on a radio show ‘What did Jesus think about homosexuals?’ has been dropped, the Prosecutor-General giving no further explanation for the decision. Rasanen’s lawyer says she has therefore ‘won’ this part of the case.
Rasanen said the latest decision to appeal ‘totally surprised me. I have however a peaceful mind and I am ready to continue to defend free speech and freedom of religion before the Supreme Court, and if need be, also before the European Court of Human Rights.
‘Altogether six judges from two courts have not found anything illegal in my texts, but now the prosecutor wants the Supreme Court to examine them too. I can only see this case as setting a historic precedent for freedom of expression and religion. For the first time in a criminal case, the court has weighed in on whether teachings linked to the Bible can be brought forth and publicly agreed with.
‘The possible acquittal from the Supreme Court would establish a legal precedent on freedom of expression and religion. It would then serve as a legal guide to any similar future charges. Such a ruling would have a significant impact on future European legislation. It would also more strongly secure the freedom of Christians’ freedom to proclaim the Bible’s teachings’.
