Päivi Räsänen Case: Free Speech on Trial in Finland
National ReviewNov 25, 2021
Finnish Official Cleared of Hate Speech Charges
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Image copyright: Roni Rekomaa/AFP/Getty [via The Daily Wire]
The Facts
Finnish MP, Päivi Räsänen, and Lutheran Bishop, Juhana Pohjola, were acquitted of all charges of hate speech on Wed.
Räsänen was charged with violating Finnish laws criminalizing statements that 'threaten, defame, or insult' others.
The Spin
Right narrative
This is a rare vindication of free speech and religious liberty. It is not for the legal system to interpret biblical concepts. Freedom of speech in Finland could have been irreparably damaged if Räsänen had been found guilty.
Left narrative
Räsänen's use of Bible verses doesn't justify her descriptions of homosexuality as a developmental disorder, generic degeneration and sin. Her comments go beyond the limits of freedom of speech - they were deliberately intolerant and hate inciting.
