Finnish Official Cleared of Hate Speech Charges

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PUBLISHED Jan 24 22UPDATED Apr 01, 2022

Photo: 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.

Päivi Räsänen Massive Free Speech Win

American ConservativeMar 30, 2022

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.

Finnish MP on trial for hate speech after calling homosexuality a ‘developmental disorder’

IndependentJan 24, 2022