Politician on trial for sharing Bible verse, Christian views refuses to back down

Important facts:

1. The Finnish constitution protects one's religious freedoms. The court already acquitted Räsänen of the charges, ruling that her statements did not meet the threshold for incitement to hatred as defined by Finnish law. The court acknowledged that Räsänen's statements were controversial and could be offensive to some, but concluded that they did not constitute a criminal offense.

The court also emphasized the importance of protecting freedom of speech and religious expression, and stated that Räsänen's comments were made in the context of a public debate on the role of religion in society. Furthermore, the court ruled that, although her views might be outdated or offensive to some, they were not intentionally aimed at inciting hatred or violence.

2. In 2023, Finland's Prosecutor General announced that they would appeal the ruling, and the case was brought to the Finnish Court of Appeal. The legal process is still ongoing as of 2024.

After the appeal, it will be a useful precedence for the future. The clash between religious freedoms and the freedom of speech and the protection of the LGBT and similar groups (extremely strong in Scandinavia) needs to be sorted out. It basically had to be done at least once, to figure it out legally, because the situation is something new and emotions are intense on both sides. Its not a coincidence that she is a politician - a public figure.