Helsinki, Finland, September 1, 2023
Thanks
On behalf of Päivi Räsänen, I would like to thank you very much for your support in connection with the appeal that was heard yesterday and today in the court in Helsinki, Finland. Prior to the trial, I had the opportunity to hand over 2,500 signatures of support on your behalf! Please watch the video below in which Ms. Räsänen also expresses her thanks:
"I am so thankful. I hope that you will send my gratitude. That I am so grateful for this support and for their prayers. That means a lot to me. Thank you so much and thank you for coming from the Netherlands".
Also the Finnish media paid attention to the campaign of support.
The number of signatures has now risen to over 2800. We hope for even more support. The action continues as long as the process is running.
The Case
The charges concerned her tweet in 2019 of some Bible verses from Romans 1:24-27, with which she tried to dissuade her Lutheran church leadership from walking in the Helsinki Pride Parade Also, a booklet she wrote in 2004 with the theme "Man and woman He created them" and a discussion of these issues during a radio broadcast was qualified as 'hate speech'.
It was striking that during the hearing the prosecutor long, fundamentally and intentionally put the principle of non-discrimination above freedom of expression and religion. These are free, as long as they conform to normalization of homosexuality. I found the defense against the charges (again) more than convincing. The verdict will follow at the latest by November 30.
For further information on the Räsänen (and Lutheran bishop Juhana Pohjola, the editor of Paivi's booklet) case, please refer to CNE.news.
The work of Christian Council International (CCI)
Later in this message, you will find an overview of CCI's work in a nutshell. If you want to stay informed about our work, you can subscribe to our quarterly newsletter.
Financial support is indispensable in order to make a lasting Christian voice heard among governments and (inter)national institutions. Check out our website for the possibilities to support CCI.
The personal messages we were able to hand over to Mrs. Räsänen were heartwarming. We call on you to continue to pray for her and others who are being persecuted for their biblical beliefs.
At the invitation of CCI, Ms. Räsänen hopes to come to the Netherlands next spring. Date and time will follow. We will post about this through the newsletter and our social media channels.
Receive warm regards from Finland,
Henk Jan van Schothorst
Director Christian Council International
