"Räsänen trial is a sign of the times we live in"

One thing stands out during the first day of court: the discussions between the prosecution and the defence are more pungent than at the earlier trial. The public prosecutor characterises Räsänen as insulting, derogatory and demeaning towards homosexuals. According to the defence, it sometimes seems as if the prosecutor is lying in turn.

Danielle Miettinen covered the case from the court in Helsinki and wrote a book about the first trial. She thinks this sharpness is because the parties now know each other. "During the first trial, everyone was a bit nervous. Now the parties know each other's position and are more confident."

Still, Miettinen would not describe the atmosphere in the courtroom as aggressive. "People were polite, and the hearing was civilised." The calm environment was somewhat shaken up when the defence showed a clip of the satirical radio programme in which Räsänen made alleged insults. "The judges tried to remain serious, but this program elicited a smile even from them," he said.

There were no surprises on the first day of court in terms of content. Matti Sankamo, Räsänen's lawyer, tells CNE.news he heard no new insights compared to the 2022 trial, in which the defendants won on all counts. "Things are going well, but we should not become self-assured," he said.

Despite the calm hearing, it was a painful day for 63-year-old Räsänen, who is currently giving interviews almost daily. The politician indicated earlier this week that she had been diagnosed with sciatica, a nerve pain. "At one point, she had to stand during the session because of the pain," said Miettinen. "If you knew about the problem, you could see that she was struggling at the end of the day."

Finnish author saw that Räsänen trial causes pain for all parties

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Publicity

The court case is attracting a lot of media attention, Miettinen says. "The publicity is huge. Major Finnish media outlets are present, but many other cases in Finland are also attracting interest." Thursday was also the day when the Finnish government presented an anti-racism plan in which, among other things, it criminalises Holocaust denial. The two-month-old government is under fire after racist statements by several ministers became public.

According to Miettinen, the matter is nevertheless on the minds of many Finns. "I think most Finns feel that what Räsänen said is wrong. But they think a court case on this is a step too far."

During the hearing, the prosecutor cited several studies saying that sexual minorities have their challenges. Statements by Räsänen would not make this any better, the prosecution argues. The defence acknowledges this but repeatedly contends that this evidence has nothing to do with the charges Räsänen is on trial for. According to Miettinen, the prosecution took ideological views into the courtroom. "It is a sign of the times we live in. I think it is an absurd case."

Lutheran Bishop Pohjola, who is on trial along with Räsänen, is also saddened by the trial. "The prosecutor sees traditional Christianity as something that contains hatred and discrimination. It does not value the biblical revelation that all human beings have intrinsic value as God's creation."