“In a democratic society, everyone should be free to share their beliefs without fear of state prosecution. Criminalizing speech through so-called ‘hate-speech’ laws shuts down important public debates and endangers democracy,” said Coleman. “Cases like Päivi’s create a culture of fear and censorship and are becoming increasingly common worldwide. We hope the Helsinki Court of Appeal will uphold the fundamental right to freedom of speech and clear Päivi Räsänen of these baseless charges.”
After the trial concludes on Sept. 1, Alliance Defending Freedom International will host a press conference and Q&A session with Dr. Räsänen. The nonprofit organization is raising funds for her defense.
Päivi Räsänen: A ‘Hero’ of Free Speech
In a 10-post thread on X, formerly known as Twitter, Coleman posted “10 things you might not know” about the case. For example, hate-speech laws are written vaguely on purpose, he said, “so they can be deployed at will by those in power.” Räsänen’s original post, Coleman noted, was never removed from social media for violating any conduct codes because “the ‘offensive’ words Päivi typed are lifted directly from the Bible.”
Police originally recommended no charges against Räsänen because “Christian doctrine itself” can’t be considered “a criminal offense,” Coleman added. And although prosecutors keep claiming the case isn’t about Christian doctrine, they repeatedly refer to the Bible, God, and sin during their arguments. “There is no doubt this case is about Christian teaching,” wrote Coleman.
He concluded: “The Finnish language has an untranslatable word called ‘sisu.’ It roughly means inner fortitude, courage, and (as per wiki) ‘extraordinary determination in the face of extreme adversity.’ No word better describes the hero that is @PaiviRasanen.”
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