A Finnish politician facing legal charges for expressing her religious beliefs will testify before Congress, highlighting a concerning trend of speech restrictions in Europe.



Most individuals today can say what they want without repercussion. Freedom of speech is a real and applicable amendment to the U.S. Constitution protecting the right to express oneself without fear of government censorship. In recent events in Europe, however, a Finnish member of parliament, Päivi Räsänen, begs to differ.

After a Bible verse tweet on social media, Räsänen is now awaiting a Supreme Court ruling where she’s scheduled to testify before the U.S. Congress. In her address, she aims to expand speech restrictions in Europe, particularly those regarding religion.

At 66 years old, Räsänen has seen her fair share of injustices. Appearing before the House Judiciary Committee in Washington as part of this hearing on foreign censorship, she will speak to “Europe’s Threat to Speech and Innovation: Part II.” Such an address will look at European laws and rights and include discussions with Lorcán Price, a legal expert with ADF International.

Räsänen’s case stems from a quote she made in 2019, quoting Romans 1:24-27. The post supposedly questioned the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland’s sponsorship of an LGBT event. Upon seeing the tweet and undergoing police complaints and a criminal investigation, she was then charged with three counts of agitation against a minority group.

After hearing the arguments in October 2025, the lower courts acquitted Räsänen. According to the Christian Post, “Räsänen served as Finland’s interior minister from 2011 to 2015. The charges against her were based on three instances of expression: her tweet, the pamphlet co-authored with Pohjola, and remarks during a radio interview.”

While defenses still hang in the balance, Räsänen refuses to retract her statements. “I stand here not only to defend my own right to speak freely, but to defend the freedom of every person to express deeply held beliefs without fear of punishment.”

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