Räsänen’s case has gained international attention and won her supporters in the U.S. The Family Research Council organized a prayer pledge for Räsänen that was delivered to her in person by Pastor Andrew Brunson. Brunson spent two years in a Turkish prison on charges of “Christianization” and acting as “an agent of unconventional warfare” under the guise of being an evangelical church pastor.
Pastor Andrew Brunson, who faced prison for his faith in Turkey, flew to Finland to greet Paivi before she entered her trial. He brought with him a prayer pledge of support signed by Christians from around the world, organised by @FRCdc pic.twitter.com/Kbffi7RSdE
— ADF International (@ADFIntl) February 14, 2022
“I will defend my right to confess my faith, so that no one else would be deprived of their right to freedom of religion and speech,” said Räsänen. “The more Christians keep silent on controversial themes, the narrower the space for freedom of speech gets.”
The verdict in Dr. Päivi Räsänen’s case is expected in March. Reuters said the case, where the court is faced with deciding “whether citing the Bible can be considered a crime in some cases in Finland,” is “unprecedented.”
