Päivi Räsänen speaks out after Supreme Court verdict

Today, the Court decided to hand down a "mixed ruling," she said.

That ruling is a 20-day fine for the statements made in a church booklet ("Male and Female, He Created Them") that defends traditional marriage and how homosexual relationships are contradictory toward God's design for humanity.

As for the prosecutor's accusation of incitement and insulting the gay community relating to the Bible tweet posted by Räsänen, that was dismissed by the Court.

The Court's fine for Räsänen totals 1800 EUR for "inciting against a group." The Court has also issued a fine for her representative, Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola at 1,100 EUR. The booklet's publishing house, the Finnish Luther Foundation, will receive a corporate fine, which amounts to 5,000 EUR. Those sentenced have also been ordered to remove sections that are deemed "illegal" from any online publications, according to previous CNE reporting.

As for the next steps, Räsänen has yet to read the several-page verdict that the Court has issued. Once she reviews everything, she will decide what will be next, she says. She is considering taking the case to the European Court of Human Rights.

"It is not about my free speech alone but that of every person in Finland," she said at the press conference. "This case is not the end of the matter; it is part of a broader and ongoing discussion about the future of fundamental freedoms in Finland and across Europe."

Despite the outcome of the ruling, Räsänen remains encouraged and thanks the many Christians who offered their support and prayed for her throughout the years-long case. She also mentioned that the trial brought people to God.

"I am going to use my freedom of speech, and I am going to be open about my faith," she said. "I trust in God, and I trust it's in God's hands."

**For more information on the verdict and the case, see our previous article. **