Thoughtcrime
30.3.2026
The Court of Appeal dismissed the charges against Juhana Pohjola and Päivi Räsänen in November 2023. The case is now proceeding to the Supreme Court. Photo: Sami Niemi
On Thursday, 30 October, the Supreme Court will hold an oral hearing in the criminal case involving Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland and Dr. Päivi Räsänen, Member of Parliament. They are accused of incitement against a minority / ethnic group. According to the Prosecutor General, the text written by Päivi Räsänen and published by the Luther Foundation Finland, “Male and female He created them,” as well as Räsänen’s tweet about the involvement of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland in a Pride parade, constitute hate speech against homosexuals.
In his appeal to the Supreme Court, Prosecutor General Ari-Pekka Koivisto is seeking to overturn the Court of Appeal’s ruling of 14 November 2023, in which all charges against Pohjola and Räsänen were unanimously dismissed. Earlier, in March 2022, the Helsinki District Court also dismissed all charges.
Juhana Pohjola is confidently preparing for the hearing. He believes in freedom of speech and religion:
– This process has been going on for six years, so I am pleased that the case is finally being heard by the Supreme Court. I am confident that the judges of the highest court will also acquit us. In so doing, they will be defending freedom of speech and religion and thus a truly pluralistic constitutional state. After all, this is a matter of Christians, as well as everyone else, being able to express, in a reasonable and justifiable manner without any fear whatsoever, their convictions and teachings on issues that some would like to label as discriminatory hate speech on ideological grounds. I am grateful for all the support and prayers I have received during this long journey.
The Supreme Court usually decides cases on the basis of written material. It only rarely conducts oral hearings. According to a press release from the Supreme Court, the Pohjola and Räsänen case R2024/57 is the twelfth oral hearing this year. The hearing will begin on 30 October at 9:30 a.m.
Jyrki Anttinen, Juhana Pohjola’s legal counsel, is pleased that Juhana Pohjola and Pävi Räsänen will also be heard in person:
– I have stated before that the Supreme Court takes a strict approach to compliance with legislation in general and the principle of legality in criminal law in particular. Therefore, I consider it appropriate that an oral hearing is conducted not only for the hearing of witness evidence, but also to hear the parties’ views on the legal assessment of the case.
The Supreme Court has limited capacity, so large audiences cannot attend the hearing in person. The courtroom can accommodate about 20 people at a time, and according to a Supreme Court press release, seats will be reserved primarily for media representatives. However, everyone is welcome to gather at Helsinki’s Market Square, where the Freedom of Speech and Religion Association will hold a support rally on the same morning from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m.
Read earlier news about the previous legal proceedings on our website:
“Bible trial” continued at the Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal hearing completed
Court of Appeal upheld District Court’s Acquittal
English translation: Thomas Toepfer
