Päivi Räsänen: The Budapest demonstration means a lot to me

On Monday, in the presence of enormous media interest and a few dozen peaceful protestors, Päivi Räsänen stood trial; she was sued for quoting the Bible and voicing the teachings of the Church. The former Interior Minister is accused by the Helsinki Attorney General of hate crimes against homosexuals in three public statements. One of these dates back to 2004. By citing a document prepared for religious use, the whole case appears to be more of a conceptual lawsuit than a procedure based on Finnish constitution and law.

According to the defense, hate speech includes intent or desire on the part of the perpetrator for violence and discrimination against the targeted group.

There is no sign of this in Räsänen’s statements. The attorney general attempted to put words in Räsänen’s mouth that she never uttered or wrote. The former Minister never referred to homosexuals with derogatory words, as Mantila claimed; in fact, the politician even consistently stressed that it was the sin she condemned, not those who committed it. A debate where one half continuously needs to fear going to court is not healthy. In response to the Tweet, (which actually was not directed at homosexuals but rather at her own Chruch which participated in the Pride parade) the lawyer said that Pride is a movement; thus, its very nature justifies its criticism, even if it is harsh.

According to lawyer Matti Sankamo, the prosecution’s clear intention is to restrict free speech.

In connection with the case, it is not as widely known that Räsänen was not the only one who ended up accused. Bishop Juhana Pohjola who published the 2004 article was also on the stand. This has no precedent in democratic Finland. During the trial, the bishop stated that these accusations are entirely baseless. Sexual education and its dissemination is in no way offensive or derogatory, he said in reference to the 2004 publication.

No verdicts were handed down on Monday because, at the prosecutor’s request, the public radio staff will also be heard on Thursday in connection with the 2019 broadcast. The prosecutor would like to delete both the show, which is available online, and the 2004 publication.

Päivi Räsänen left the courtroom with a sense of relief. She told our paper that to her it was clear that the accusations would not hold ground.

“If you follow the prosecution’s logic, then the state of freedom of religion in Finland would become the same as in China or North Korea.”

She added that her fate is in God’s hands, and everything will turn out as it should.

After the trial on Thursday, a verdict will be announced on March 30th.