from Christian Today
Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen is praying that she will finally be exonerated of hate speech charges over her biblical views on marriage and sexuality after the case against her was heard by the Supreme Court on Thursday.
Mrs Räsänen, former Minister of the Interior, was first charged in 2019 over comments she made in a tweet and a pamphlet co-published with Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola, who was also charged.
Despite having at one time been the boss of the Finnish police, she was subjected to a 13-hour interrogation over her beliefs and charged after she refused to delete her tweet and apologize for her comments.
Mrs Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola were both later cleared by the District Court of Helsinki and the Court of Appeal but the state prosecution was not satisfied and appealed to the Finnish Supreme Court, which heard the case on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Mrs Räsänen, 65, said that the case was a “significant moment” not only for them personally but for Finland and other European states more widely.
“Whatever the outcome of this trial is, my conscience is clear and my faith is firm,” she said.
“My hope is that this ruling will affirm the right of every person to express their beliefs freely without fear and without punishment.”