Finnish prosecutor in appeal against Räsänen’s acquittal
Photo CNE, Evert van Vlastuin
Northern Europe
The prosecutor in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, has appealed against Mrs Päivi Räsänen’s acquittal.
The charges against the Christian politician were dropped twice. The Supreme Court will be the last stage for the prosecutor.
The prosecutor published this on Friday afternoon and has confirmed this to CNE.
It is not sure whether the Supreme Court accepts the appeal from the prosecutor. On average, the top judges reject more than 90 per cent of all the applications.
Verdict
Räsänen was freed of all charges last November by the Court of Appeal. That decision came after an appeal of the prosecutor against a verdict by the Helsinki District Court in 2022.
The case has to do with social media postings by Mrs. Räsänen in the summer of 2019, in which she asked the Finnish Lutheran Church to stop the support of the Helsinki Gay Pride. According to the Member of Parliament and former Home Affairs Minister, homosexual practice is a breach of the Biblical guidelines. The prosecutor says this is direct discrimination against gay people.
Part of the charges are also against the Lutheran bishop Juhana Pohjola since he published a booklet by Mrs Räsänen about the Christian view on sexuality.
Mrs Räsänen said on Twitter that she was surprised by the prosecutor's decision.
Quite certain
In response to the news on Friday afternoon, Räsänen's Finnish lawyer, Matti Sankamo, said to CNE.news he was "quite certain" the Supreme Court would take the case.
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