Finnish Official Cleared of Hate Speech Charges

Facts

• Finnish MP, Päivi Räsänen, and Lutheran Bishop, Juhana Pohjola, were acquitted of all charges of hate speech on Wed.¹
• Räsänen was charged with violating Finnish laws criminalizing statements that 'threaten, defame, or insult' others.²
• She was accused of making derogatory comments on three separate occasions, including tweeting a Bible quote from Romans 1:24-27.³
• Pohjola, meanwhile, faced one count of ethnic agitation for displaying a pamphlet written by Räsänen on his church's website.¹
• The case was considered a trial on free speech in relation to religious beliefs.⁴

Sources: ¹FOX News, ²Daily Caller, ³Catholic News Agency and ⁴BBC News.

Narratives

• Right narrative, as provided by American Conservative. 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, as provided by Independent. 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.