Finland’s Supreme Court will hear the case of a politician facing “hate crime” charges over her Christian beliefs on marriage and sexuality. 
On Friday, the Supreme Court of Finland <a href="https://adfinternational.org/news/bible-tweet-case-to-be-heard-at-finnish-supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that it would hear the case of Finnish Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen, who is facing state charges related to her sharing a 2019 tweet that included pictures of Bible verses and a pamphlet on marriage she wrote back in 2004. The charges were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/finnish-court-dismisses-hate-crime-charges-against-politician-on-trial-over-christian-beliefs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously dismissed</a> by the district court and the Helsinki Court of Appeal.
The case will now be heard by the Supreme Court, Finland&#8217;s top court for private law cases. The state prosecutors want the court to fine Räsänen tens of thousands of Euros and want her to be censored. Bishop Juhana Pohjola will be tried at the same time on similar charges for publishing Räsänen&#8217;s writings on marriage.
Charges <a href="https://adfinternational.org/campaign/free-speech-on-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were brought</a> against them after Räsänen publicly questioned why the church denomination she was part of was sponsoring an LGBT &#8220;Pride&#8221; celebration. She was accused of “agitation against a minority group,” under the section of “war crimes and crimes against humanity” in Finnish law. 
Räsänen said Friday that she has a “peaceful mind” and is “ready to continue to defend free speech and freedom of religion before the Supreme Court, and if need be, also before the European Court of Human Rights.” 
The member of parliament, who is being backed by the Alliance Defending Freedom International, added that the investigation into her had been going on for nearly five and that the outcome would have major implications for free expression. 
“This was not just about my opinions, but about everyone’s freedom of expression,” she said. “I hope that with the ruling of the Supreme Court, others would not have to undergo the same ordeal. I have considered it a privilege and an honor to defend freedom of expression, which is a fundamental right in a democratic state.” 
The case has garnered international attention, with Republican lawmakers in the United States urging the State Department Officials to step in and support Räsänen.
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“This is a watershed case in the story of Europe’s creeping censorship,” said Paul Coleman of the Alliance Defending Freedom International. “In a democratic Western nation in 2024, nobody should be on trial for their faith – yet throughout the prosecution of  Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola, we have seen something akin to a ‘heresy’ trial, where Christians are dragged through court for holding beliefs that differ from the approved orthodoxy of the day.”

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Top Finnish Court To Hear Case On Politician Charged Over Sharing Bible Verse

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World

Trans-identifying people continue to have mental health issues even after transgender medical treatment, a new study out of Finland shows.
Despite what advocates <a href="https://www.komu.com/news/midmissourinews/theyre-not-really-interested-in-health-care-mental-health-expert-weighs-in-on-gender-affirming/article_4c0f02ae-48ed-11ee-89fc-83442f979c89.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claim</a>, many people who undergo transgender medical treatment continue to need significant psychiatric treatment afterwards, according to the peer-reviewed <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-psychiatry/article/have-the-psychiatric-needs-of-people-seeking-gender-reassignment-changed-as-their-numbers-increase-a-register-study-in-finland/D09F9414F798E0462AF911152E7BF576" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> conducted by three Finnish researchers.
The study appeared last month in the journal European Psychiatry, which is published by Cambridge University Press.
The researchers looked at 3,665 people who contacted Finland&#8217;s gender identity services between 1996 to 2019.
&#8220;Both before and after contacting [gender identity services], they present with many more common psychiatric needs than do their matched population controls, even when medical [gender reassignment] interventions are carried out,&#8221; the study said.
Patients are coming in for transgender medical treatment at &#8220;ever younger ages and with more psychiatric needs,&#8221; the study said, and their psychiatric needs persist regardless of treatment. Adolescents and girls in particular are seeking out the treatments more often, the study noted.
The researchers also noticed a &#8220;marked increase&#8221; in the gender dysphoric group&#8217;s psychiatric needs over time.
The most common psychiatric problem was severe mood disorders, which were more prevalent in the gender dysphoric group than the control group. The second most common problem was anxiety disorders, which were about the same for both groups.
Autism was also more common among the gender dysphoric group.
The study also found that people seeking transgender treatments now tend to have more psychiatric issues than the people who sought out treatment in the &#8217;90s and early 2000s.
One of the study&#8217;s authors is Dr. Riittakerttu Kaltiala, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/physician-who-pioneered-transgender-hormone-treatments-for-children-speaks-out-about-dangers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">helped</a> pioneer transgender hormone treatments for children in Europe but now sounds the alarm on medicalizing gender-distressed children.
Back in 2011, Kaltiala was put in charge of the youth gender clinic at Finland&#8217;s Tampere University Hospital, and she had concerns from the start.
“We were being told to intervene in healthy, functioning bodies simply on the basis of a young person’s shifting feelings about gender,” Kaltiala said last month. &#8220;The young people we were treating were not thriving. Instead, their lives were deteriorating.&#8221;
Kaltiala also sounded the alarm on American medicine pushing the “affirming” model of transgender services for children.
Hundreds of teen girls in the U.S., some as young as 12, <a href="https://www.medpagetoday.com/pediatrics/generalpediatrics/101252?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2022-10-17&amp;eun=g394940d0r&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Daily%20Headlines%20Evening%202022-10-17&amp;utm_term=NL_Daily_DHE_dual-gmail-definition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have gotten</a> elective, gender-related double mastectomies to remove their healthy breasts over the last few years.
Meanwhile, gender identity changes are more popular than ever among children. An estimated 300,000 minors aged 13 to 17 <a href="https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/transgender-estimate-press-release/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">identified</a> as transgender as of last year.

US-HEALTH-VIRUS-SUICIDE-ADOLESCENTS

Mental Health Issues Persist After Transgender Medical Treatment, New Finnish Study Shows

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Russia has forced its neighbor Finland to close most of its border crossings after sending hundreds of migrants — mostly from the Middle East — into the Nordic country, according to the Finnish government. 
Finland closed all but one of its eight border crossings over the past two weeks after more than 700 migrants from countries such as Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Somalia, Morocco, Pakistan, and Kenya crossed into the country, Reuters <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-finland-border-migrants-afghanistan-yemen-syria-rcna126557">reported</a>. The newest NATO country accused Moscow of sending an increased number of asylum-seekers over the past few days, but the Kremlin is denying that charge. 
“Illegal immigration at Finland&#8217;s eastern border has continued to grow and has also expanded to other border crossings. Based on the observations made by the Border Guard and other authorities and the information received, it is clear that the authorities of a foreign country and other actors have a role in facilitating the arrival of persons who have crossed the border to Finland,” the country <a href="https://valtioneuvosto.fi/paatokset/paatos?decisionId=157">said</a> in a statement on Wednesday. 
Since August, the country of roughly 5.6 million people, has seen around 800 migrants without proper documentation attempt to enter Finland with 700 of those migrants arriving in November <a href="https://apnews.com/article/finland-russia-border-frontex-guards-2fc202b3a900d6887e0152b235a0a00d">according</a> to the Associated Press. Finland connected the increased illegal immigration to “international crime,” saying the crisis poses a major threat to the country if it’s not stopped. 
“The phenomenon is also related to international crime,” the statement continued. “The phenomenon and the threat of its further expansion pose a serious threat to national security and public order in Finland and elsewhere in the Schengen area. The measures in accordance with the current decision have not stopped the phenomenon in the intended way.” 
Last week, Finland closed half of its border crossings before closing three more overnight Thursday. The only border crossing remaining open is Finland’s northernmost in Raja-Jooseppi, which is above the Arctic circle. Finland’s Border Guard said the Raja-Jooseppi crossing will continue to accept asylum applications as well, according to Reuters. 
Open Source Intelligence Analyst Emil Kastehelmi posted a video on X, which appeared to show migrants walking toward Finland from Russia. Kastehelmi said the asylum-seekers were dropped off near the Finnish border and given bikes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Recent developments in Finland:
Over the past few days, Russia has sent an increasing number of migrants to Finland&#39;s borders. Finland has closed several border crossing points due to the authorities&#39; threat assessment.
A video surfaced of the Russian operation. 1/ <a href="https://t.co/Vb7c1iLLmD">pic.twitter.com/Vb7c1iLLmD</a>
&mdash; Emil Kastehelmi (@emilkastehelmi) <a href="https://twitter.com/emilkastehelmi/status/1726349169869377855?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The European Union has acknowledged Finland’s border crisis and sent up to 50 additional border patrol officers and equipment to help the country crack down on illegal immigration. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo sounded the alarm on the issue during an address to Parliament on Thursday. 
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“Finland cannot be influenced, Finland cannot be destabilized,” Orpo said. “Russia started this, and Russia also can stop it.”

Finland Border

Middle Eastern Illegal Immigrants Overwhelming Finland’s Border At Russia’s Direction, Finnish Government Says

Middle Eastern Illegal Immigrants Overwhelming Finland's Border At Russia's Direction, Finnish Government Says

Illegal Immigration

Middle East

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A Finnish politician who was on trial over her Christian beliefs on marriage and sexuality was found not guilty after the “hate crime” charges she faced were dismissed on Tuesday. 
Parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen faced state charges related to her sharing a 2019 tweet that included pictures of Bible verses,  a radio debate she had in 2019, and a pamphlet she wrote on marriage back in 2004. The Helsinki Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed the charges and those faced by Bishop Juhana Pohjola, who published Räsänen&#8217;s 2004 pamphlet called “Male and Female He Created Them.”
“I am deeply relieved. The court has fully endorsed and upheld the decision of the district court, which recognized everyone’s right to free speech,” Räsänen <a href="https://adfinternational.org/breaking-finnish-parliamentarian-found-not-guilty-of-hate-speech-for-bible-tweet-and-other-expressions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> after the court ruling was announced. 
Räsänen, a member of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/finland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Finnish</a> parliament, was supported in her defense by the Alliance Defending Freedom International. The prosecution must cover Räsänen’s legal bills according to the appeals court. 
“It isn’t a crime to tweet a Bible verse, or to engage in public discourse with a Christian perspective. The attempts made to prosecute me for expressing my beliefs have resulted in an immensely trying four years, but my hope is that the result will stand as a key precedent to protect the human right to free speech. I sincerely hope other innocent people will be spared the same ordeal for simply voicing their convictions,” Räsänen added. 
While Räsänen was unanimously acquitted by the District Court of Helsinki for the same charges back in March 2022, state prosecutors sought to appeal the lower court’s ruling earlier this year. 
The appeals court said that it had “no reason, on the basis of the evidence received at the main hearing, to assess the case in any respect differently from the District Court. There is therefore no reason to alter the final result of the District Court’s judgment.”  
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During the case, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/finnish-politician-back-in-court-for-criminal-interpretation-of-bible-verses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prosecutors argued</a> that they “can limit freedom of expression in the outward expression of religion.” They also said that the 2019 tweet was criminal because of Räsänen’s interpretation of the verse. “You can cite the Bible, but it is Räsänen’s interpretation and opinion about the Bible verses that are criminal,” one prosecutor said.  
Paul Coleman, the executive director of ADF International, celebrated the ruling but added that hate speech laws were dangerous for societies. 
“While we celebrate this monumental victory, we also remember that it comes after four years of police investigations, criminal indictments, prosecutions, and court hearings. We applaud the Helsinki Court of Appeal’s ruling in this case, and we work towards the bigger victory when such ludicrous cases are no longer brought,” he said.

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Finnish Court Dismisses Hate Crime Charges Against Politician On Trial Over Christian Beliefs

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Free Speech

Hate Speech

Marriage

Sexuality

A physician who helped pioneer transgender hormone treatments for children in Europe is now speaking out about the dangers of medicalizing gender-distressed children.
Dr. Riittakerttu Kaltiala, 58, is the chief adolescent psychiatrist at Finland’s Tampere University Hospital. In 2011, she was put in charge of Tampere&#8217;s new youth gender clinic, making her one of the first physicians in the world to lead a clinic devoted to gender-distressed youth.
However, Kaltiala had concerns about the so-called &#8220;affirming&#8221; model of transgender treatment from the start, and now she is warning about the dangers of affirming children&#8217;s new gender identities and green-lighting medical intervention.
&#8220;I had some serious questions about all this,&#8221; Kaltiala wrote in an <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/gender-affirming-care-dangerous-finland-doctor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">op-ed</a> in The Free Press published Monday.
&#8220;We were being told to intervene in healthy, functioning bodies simply on the basis of a young person’s shifting feelings about gender,&#8221; she wrote.
When the youth gender clinic began services, Kaltiala said they expected to see a small number of boys who had persistently declared they were girls. Instead, they saw &#8220;droves&#8221; of patients, 90% of whom were girls aged 15 to 17, and many of them had &#8220;severe psychiatric conditions&#8221; she said.
Some of the girls had family issues, and &#8220;many&#8221; were on the autism spectrum, Kaltiala said. In addition, many had suddenly announced their gender dysphoria in adolescence.
&#8220;Now they were coming to us because their parents, usually just mothers, had been told by someone in an LGBT organization that gender identity was their child’s real problem, or the child had seen something online about the benefits of transition,&#8221; she said.
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Soon after the clinic began offering transgender hormone treatments for youth, Kaltiala  and her colleagues began to see that the &#8220;miracle we had been promised was not happening.&#8221;
&#8220;What we were seeing was just the opposite,&#8221; Kaltiala said. &#8220;The young people we were treating were not thriving. Instead, their lives were deteriorating,&#8221; including the youth becoming socially isolated.
Meanwhile, Kaltiala&#8217;s colleagues in other countries were seeing the same trend, she said.
Kaltiala and some of her colleagues attempted to bring attention to their concerns, even putting out a study analyzing the gender clinic&#8217;s patients, but others in the field continued to work to expand the hormone treatments.
In 2015, the gender clinic started to notice &#8220;social contagion–linked gender dysphoria&#8221; when groups of teenage girls from the same area arrived telling the same stories about how they realized they were transgender, Kaltiala said.
Finally in 2016, Finland&#8217;s two pediatric gender clinics changed their protocols because of concerns about medically &#8220;transitioning&#8221; young patients. Currently, if a young patient has more urgent issues than gender dysphoria, the clinics refer them to another treatment, such as counseling, Kaltiala said.
Kaltiala said that in the early years, her psychiatric department agreed to help &#8220;transition&#8221; about half of the youth who came to the gender clinic. Now though, that number has dropped to about 20%, she said.
Some patients have since come back to Kaltiala&#8217;s clinic saying they regret their gender &#8220;transitions.&#8221;
In her op-ed, Kaltiala also sounded the alarm on American medicine pushing the &#8220;affirming&#8221; model of transgender services for children.
&#8220;I have been particularly concerned about American medical societies, who as a group continue to assert that children know their &#8216;authentic&#8217; selves, and a child who declares a transgender identity should be affirmed and started on treatment,&#8221; she wrote.
Kaltiala singled out the American Academy of Pediatrics, saying the group has been &#8220;actively hostile&#8221; to her message. The AAP is a the largest professional association for pediatricians in the country with 67,000 members.
She added that she is &#8220;disturbed&#8221; by how gender clinicians warn American parents that there is a much higher risk of suicide if they refuse to &#8220;transition&#8221; their child, calling it &#8220;dishonest and extremely unethical&#8221; and saying suicide is &#8220;very rare.&#8221;
&#8220;When medical professionals start saying they have one answer that applies everywhere, or that they have a cure for all of life’s pains, that should be a warning to us all that something has gone very wrong,&#8221; she wrote.
Meanwhile, gender identity changes are more popular than ever among children. An estimated 300,000 minors aged 13 to 17 <a href="https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/transgender-estimate-press-release/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">identified</a> as transgender as of last year.

Inside The Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital In Lancashire

Physician Who Pioneered Transgender Hormone Treatments For Children Speaks Out About Dangers

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The member of the Finnish parliament facing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/christian-politician-in-finland-grandmother-of-six-on-trial-after-posting-bible-tweet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prosecution over her religious beliefs</a> was back in court this week, facing a trial for expressing her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/christianity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian</a> views on marriage and sexuality.
Parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen <a href="https://adfinternational.org/trial-about-censorship-of-finnish-politicians-bible-tweet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared</a> before the Helsinki Court of Appeal on Thursday and Friday to defend her beliefs after she was charged with “hate speech” violations, including for a 2019 tweet that included pictures of Bible verses and a pamphlet she wrote on marriage back in 2004.
“Everyone should be able to share their beliefs without fearing censorship by state-authorities. I know that the prosecution is trying to make an example of me to scare others into silence. Yet, you do not have to align with my views to agree that everyone should be able to speak freely. With God’s help I will remain steadfast and continue defending everyone’s human right to free speech,” Räsänen said on the first day of her new trial, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom International, which is supporting the parliamentarian’s defense. 
She was unanimously acquitted by the District Court of Helsinki for the same charges back in March 2022.
Bishop Juhana Pohjola is also being prosecuted for publishing the pamphlet under charges related to “war crimes and crimes against humanity” in the criminal code of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/finland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Finland</a>. 
Prosecutors have argued that they “can limit freedom of expression in the outward expression of religion.” They also said that the 2019 tweet was criminal because of Räsänen&#8217;s interpretation of the verse. “You can cite the Bible, but it is Räsänen’s interpretation and opinion about the Bible verses that are criminal,” the prosecutor said. 
Paul Coleman, the executive director of ADF International and a member of Räsänen’s legal team, said that Finland’s hate speech laws were a danger to democratic societies. 
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“In a democratic society, everyone should be free to share their beliefs without fear of state prosecution. Criminalizing speech through so-called ‘hate-speech’ laws shuts down important public debates and endangers democracy. Cases like Päivi’s create a culture of fear and censorship and are becoming increasingly common worldwide. We hope the Helsinki Court of Appeal will uphold the fundamental right to freedom of speech and clear Päivi Räsänen of these baseless charges,” he said. 
The case has garnered international attention <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-lawmakers-slam-prosecution-of-finnish-politician-over-religious-beliefs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with Republicans urging</a> State Department Officials to step in and support Räsänen. Earlier this month, Republican representatives sent a letter to Douglas Hickey, America’s ambassador to Finland, and Rashad Hussain, the ambassador for the U.S. Office of Religious Freedom, in her defense.

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Finnish Politician Back In Court For ‘Criminal’ Interpretation Of Bible Verses

Finnish Politician Back In Court For 'Criminal' Interpretation Of Bible Verses

Bible

Homosexuality

Religious Liberty

Elon Musk has famously <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1688022163574439937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offered</a> to take up the costs of anyone who suffers professional losses for what they like or post on Twitter. Now, we need him to turn his attention to those suffering criminal charges at the hands of government for the same. This month has been rife with oppressive signs that Twitter is far from a safe space for the right to free expression.
On August 9th, Mexico’s highest court for electoral issues issued a final conviction in the case of former congressman <a href="https://adfinternational.org/mexican-civil-society-leader-found-guilty-of-gender-based-political-violence-for-tweets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rodrigo Iván Cortés</a>. The court upheld a guilty verdict for “gender-based political violence” for Cortés’ assertion, on Twitter and Facebook, that a transgender-identifying congressional representative is a “man who self-ascribes as a woman.” The charges were levied after the representative sued on the basis of “denial of identity.”
For stating the truth of biological reality, Cortés has been walloped with draconian reparations measures, including the payment of a fine, and absurdly, a court order that he post the judgment and a court-drafted apology on his social media daily for 30 days. Further, he must attend a course for political violators, and register on a list of offenders. Needless to say, for saying what he believes on Twitter, Cortés’ life will never be the same.
Lest this sound too outrageous to have ever happened before, Cortés is not the only one. The same transgender representative filed a parallel suit and won against sitting Mexican congressman <a href="https://adfinternational.org/gabriel-quadri-mexico/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gabriel Quadri</a>. Interestingly, the representative, Salma Luévano, together with Maria Clemente, another transgender representative, is notorious for fomenting unrest within Mexico’s Congress, including presenting a “hate speech” bill aimed at Christian teaching on sexual morality while <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNbxIAj4YTw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wearing</a> the vestments of a Catholic bishop.
Luévano also participated in an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgwHLlUfHsc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">incident</a>, together with transgender representative Maria Clemente, in which the chair of the congressional session was physically ousted in an attempt to force the expulsion of Congressman Quadri for his views on what makes a man a man. Clemente also prompted international outrage by Tweeting explicit videos of Clemente’s own “sex work,” <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/z34wx9/mexico-trans-politician-maria-clemente-garcia-moreno" target="_blank" rel="noopener">citing</a> a right to freely share this kind of content on digital platforms. The irony is palpable.
Disagreement is not discrimination, and peaceful dissent should never be penalized as violence. It is deeply disturbing that Cortés and Quadri, who exercised their basic human right to peaceably share their views on a matter of significant current debate have been convicted as violent offenders when it is their political opponents who are perpetuating unrest within Mexico’s political institutions.
Now, both Cortés and Quadri have exhausted all avenues for justice in Mexico and are taking their cases to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, with the support of ADF International.
Also, this month, Finnish member of parliament <a href="https://adfinternational.org/free-speech-on-trial/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Päivi Räsänen</a> returns to court for a 2019 Twitter post that landed her with criminal charges of “hate speech” for “agitation of a minority group”. Räsänen’s tweet questioned her church’s participation in a local pride parade, and four years later, this much-loved civil servant, medical doctor, and grandmother is still bearing the cost of exercising her right to free expression.
Räsänen was fully acquitted in 2022, but the Finnish system permits legal double jeopardy allowing the prosecution to <a href="https://adfinternational.org/prosecutor-files-appeal-against-finnish-mps-major-free-speech-victory/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeal</a> on the grounds that it was unsatisfied with the verdict. She will be back in court on August 31st, with charges against her that carry tens of thousands of euros in fines, and even the possibility of a two-year prison sentence.
Freedom of speech is the foundation of a free society and a basic right of everyone guaranteed by all major human rights treaties. Without it, all our other human rights erode. Happening before our eyes is a dangerous global trend to criminalize free expression. In a world facing mounting censorship, it’s never been more important to protect the right of every person to speak freely, whether you like what they’re saying or not.
Cortés, Quadri, and Räsänen have in common the peaceful expression of their convictions. And, notably, all experienced the brunt force of the law for daring to speak out on an “unwelcome” topic. Nobody should be punished, let alone criminally charged, for simply sharing what they believe. State-backed censorship blurs the line between dictatorships and democracies, leaving the rest of us with no choice but to question — how long before this happens to me?
Elyssa Koren is an international human rights lawyer and director of legal communications for <a href="https://www.adfinternational.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ADF International</a>, which is supporting the legal defense of Cortés, Quadri, and Räsänen. Follow her on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/elyssa_koren?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@Elyssa_Koren</a>
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

TikTok To Be Banned From UK Government Phones

The Dangerous Global Trend Of Criminalizing Free Expression Online

Facebook

Mexico

Readers Pass

Social Media

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Republican lawmakers slammed the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-global-freedom-of-speech-win-court-clears-finnish-official-of-hate-speech-for-sharing-faith-based-views-on-marriage-sexuality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prosecution of a Finnish politician</a> who is facing punishment for expressing her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/christianity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian</a> views on marriage and sexuality, saying that the prosecution was indicative of an “open war on Christianity.”
The representatives sent a <a href="https://adfinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Signed_Finland_Letter_August_2023.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Douglas Hickey, America’s ambassador to Finland, and Rashad Hussain, the ambassador for the U.S. Office of Religious Freedom, in defense of Parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen. Räsänen is <a href="https://adfinternational.org/paivi-us-legislator-support-letter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">facing a trial</a> before a Finish appeals court after she was previously acquitted by a lower court of charges including “agitation against a minority group” related to her faith-based views on marriage and sexuality, including a 2019 tweet that called homosexuality a “sin.”
“Finnish Christians once again stand trial for simply being Christians. For more than four years, a rogue Finnish prosecutor has unjustly targeted Member of Finnish Parliament Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola for tweeting a Bible verse critical of her own church and publishing a twenty-year old booklet on marriage,” a letter from 16 House Republicans read.
Signers included Reps. Chip Roy (Texas), Michael Cloud (Texas), Mike Johnson (Louisiana), Andrew Clyde (Georgia), Jim Banks (Indiana), Jeff Duncan (South Carolina), Mary Miller (Illinois), Doug Lamborn (Colorado), Debbie Lesko (Arizona), Michael Guest (Mississippi), Andy Ogles (Tennessee), Ralph Norman (South Carolina), Anna Paulina Luna (Florida), Randy Weber (Texas), Keith Self (Texas) and Alex X. Mooney (West Virginia).
“This case will have worldwide ramifications. For years, we and many others have raised the alarm that the West was experiencing a hostile takeover by radical secularists — guided by open hostility and rancid antagonism toward Christianity — and that one-day people of faith would face trial for merely living out their beliefs,” the letter continued.
Räsänen&#8217;s legal defense is being supported by the Global Religious Freedom at Alliance Defending Freedom International. Her second trial will be before the Finnish Court of Appeal after she was unanimously acquitted by the District Court of Helsinki in March 2022.
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&#8220;The state is attempting to criminalize the peaceful expression of my Christian faith. By continuing its campaign to censor these beliefs, the prosecution is setting a dangerous precedent of intolerance. I hope for another acquittal at the Court of Appeal. The state of free speech in Finland hangs in the balance,” Räsänen said in a statement.
Multiple Republican senators, including Marco Rubio of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri, have previously expressed their support for Räsänen’s right to express her faith.

Paivi-reporters-2

Republican Lawmakers Slam Prosecution Of Finnish Politician Over Religious Beliefs

House Republicans

Religion

President Joe Biden ignited a firestorm this week after a bizarre video of him emerged this week where he nibbled on a small child who appeared to not like the interaction.
The video of Biden came from Helsinki, Finland, and showed what happened when he approached a woman carrying a small child.
Biden put his face in the girl&#8217;s shoulder and nibbled on her for several seconds, causing the girl to turn away from the 80-year-old.
Biden then attempted to kiss the girl on the head and she turned her head and again moved away from Biden.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
During his departure from Finland, President Joe Biden bizarrely sniffed and bit at the shoulder of a frightened little girl. <a href="https://t.co/Lx23QeGmfD">pic.twitter.com/Lx23QeGmfD</a>
&mdash; Conservative War Machine (@WarMachineRR) <a href="https://twitter.com/WarMachineRR/status/1679896415126925322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The video generated widespread disgust online from many who noted that Biden has a long history of this type of behavior.
&#8220;This has got to be Biden&#8217;s creepiest moment yet with a child,&#8221; said digital media strategist Caleb Hull. &#8220;All Biden has to do is not do this and he can&#8217;t.&#8221;
Radio host Jesse Kelly tweeted, &#8220;Dude can’t help himself when he sees a little girl. Like a kid on Christmas morning.&#8221;
Australian political commentator Rita Panahi tweeted, &#8220;Creepy AF &amp; Biden has a long history of inappropriate touching, kissing, sniffing &amp; whatever the hell this is …&#8221;
&#8220;What the F**K is wrong with this man?&#8221; tweeted Red State editor Ben Kew.
&#8220;I&#8217;m sorry,&#8221; said media analyst Joe Concha. &#8220;Normal people don&#8217;t do this with children &#8230;&#8221;
Mediaite noted that the clip sparked lots of commentary on cable news channels, including on Fox News, where host Jesse Watters said, “Here’s the president nibbling at a terrified baby in Finland. It’s not presidential. It’s weird.”
“The only time men do that is with their own children at home, maybe – not with strange babies in the middle of Europe with cameras rolling,&#8221; Watters added. &#8220;He’s nuzzling and sniffing random kids. Joe showed more affection to this young Finnish girl than to his own granddaughter in Arkansas.”

Joe Biden

‘Creepy’ Biden Interaction With Small Child Ignites Firestorm: ‘What The F*** Is Wrong With This Man?’

President Biden said he is “serious” about a potential prisoner exchange with Russia for Evan Gershkovich, an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal. 
During a press briefing Thursday in Helsinki, Finland, with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, Biden <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/07/13/biden-serious-on-a-prisoner-exchange-for-wsjs-evan-gershkovich/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the process for a prisoner exchange is already underway. Gershkovich has been detained in Russia <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/blinken-calls-for-immediate-release-of-american-reporter-and-paul-whelan-in-call-with-russian-counterpart" target="_blank" rel="noopener">since</a> late March, and the United States has labeled it a wrongful detention. 
&#8220;I&#8217;m serious about a prisoner exchange,&#8221; Biden said when asked for an update on Gershkovich. &#8220;I&#8217;m serious about doing all we can to free Americans who are being illegally held in Russia or anywhere else for that matter. That process is underway.&#8221;
Gershkovich was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-wall-street-journal-reporter-arrested-in-russia-after-being-accused-of-spying" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> in Yekaterinburg on March 29 on espionage charges. His detainment was the first arrest of an American journalist on espionage charges in Russia since 1986. Gershkovich, the U.S. government, and The Wall Street Journal all deny the charges.  
Last week, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan made similar comments on the matter, saying the U.S. has been in contact with Russia throughout the ordeal. 
“We remain in contact with Russian authorities at high levels on these cases to try to figure out a way to bring unjustly detained Americans home, including Evan,” Sullivan <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/13/politics/gershkovich-prisoner-exchange-biden/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We have also made clear for months now – even before Evan was detained, as we were dealing with Paul Whelan – that we are prepared to do hard things in order to get our citizens home, including getting Evan home.” 
Whelan is a U.S. Marine veteran who has been detained in the country <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/he-would-have-gone-free-anyway-in-2029-john-kirby-responds-to-critics-of-swapping-viktor-bout-for-brittney-griner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">since</a> 2018. He’s currently serving a 16-year prison sentence in a penal colony on espionage charges, accusations which Whelan denies and the U.S. government says are baseless. 
In December, the Biden administration was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/he-would-have-gone-free-anyway-in-2029-john-kirby-responds-to-critics-of-swapping-viktor-bout-for-brittney-griner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heavily criticized</a> when it traded Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout — known as the “Merchant of Death” — for WNBA player Britney Griner, who was arrested in February 2022. Whelan was not part of the deal. 
At the time, then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2022/12/08/mccarthy_griner_was_jailed_for_a_trumped-up_charge_but_to_exchange_her_for_merchant_of_death_makes_us_weaker.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the trade a “big win for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin” and said that Biden “left a Marine behind.”
Last week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/07/politics/white-house-evan-gershkovich/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that they were in contact with the U.S. on the matter, but said Russia doesn’t want details of a potential Gershkovich prisoner swap to be “discussed in public. … They must be carried out and continue in complete silence.”
Earlier this month, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy was able to meet with Gershkovich, who <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-serious-prisoner-exchange-wsj-reporter-detained-russia-process-underway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the journalist is in &#8220;good health&#8221; and &#8220;remains resilient despite the circumstances.&#8221;

President Biden in Finland

Biden Says ‘Process Is Underway’ In Potential Prisoner Swap With Russia For WSJ Reporter

Wall Street Journal

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electricity</a> prices in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/finland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Finland</a> plummeted into negative territory this week after the launch of a new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nuclear-power" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nuclear</a> power plant last month.
The development comes months after officials in the Nordic nation were raising the alarm over widespread energy shortages, a reality induced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Energy producers are now discussing mechanisms to reduce production as power becomes so abundant that prices venture into negative territory.
&#8220;Production is high, consumption is low, and now we are in a situation where it is not easy to adjust production,&#8221; Fingrid CEO Jukka Ruusunen said in an <a href="https://yle.fi/a/74-20033326" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with Yle News. “Last winter, the only thing people could talk about was where to get more electricity. Now we are thinking hard about how to limit production. We have gone from one extreme to another.”
Power company TVO launched a new <a href="https://www.tvo.fi/en/index/production/plantunits/ol3.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reactor</a> at the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant last month; nearly one-third of the nation’s power now comes from the facility. The electricity from the plant is sufficient to power 5.2 million apartments or charge 3.6 million electric cars, marking a significant amount of power production for Finland, which has 5.5 million residents.
Average spot electricity prices in Finland declined from $264 in December to $65 in April, according to a <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/energy/2023/05/14/nuclear-power-helps-bring-down-electricity-prices-by-75-in-finland/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the National News. Utility companies are unable to decrease energy output through hydropower, the typical domain in which electricity production can be reduced, because of excess snowmelts.
“Operators in Finland and the surrounding areas are now monitoring the situation. If hydropower can&#8217;t be regulated, then it will probably be nuclear power next. Production that is not profitable at these prices is usually removed from the market,&#8221; Ruusunen continued. &#8220;Now there is enough electricity, and it is almost emission-free. So you can feel good about using electricity.”
Finland and other nations in the European Union abide by the <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">goal</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050 in accordance with the European Green Deal and the Paris Climate Agreement. Despite the success of nuclear power in promoting emission-free electricity, many countries are shuttering the facilities over safety concerns: Germany closed the nation’s three remaining nuclear energy plants last month, marking an end to the economic bellwether’s use of the power source even as authorities <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/germany-reverts-to-burning-coal-will-keep-two-nuclear-plants-open-ahead-of-winter-months" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resumed</a> coal production due to energy shortages.
“The risks of nuclear power are ultimately uncontrollable; that’s why the nuclear phaseout makes our country safer, and avoids more nuclear waste,” German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, a member of the Green Party, said earlier this year, according to a <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/germany-shuts-down-its-last-nuclear-power-stations/a-65249019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from German state-funded media outlet Deutsche Welle.
Other nations, such as the Netherlands and Poland, are slated to expand their nuclear systems, while Belgium is delaying a previously enacted phaseout. Some countries, on the other hand, proceeded with shutdowns of nuclear facilities despite catastrophic increases in energy prices last year: Switzerland <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/swiss-nuclear-power-plant-cuts-production-in-middle-of-energy-crisis-to-protect-local-fish" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slowed</a> production at one nuclear power plant to avoid raising nearby river temperatures and thereby protect local fish populations.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has meanwhile <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-social-market-economy-might-redistribute-fossil-fuel-profits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> mechanisms to reduce “overall electricity consumption,” an initiative funded by the redistribution of profits from oil and natural gas companies.

Finland Nuclear Reactor

Finland Went From Energy Shortage To Negative Power Prices. Here’s How They Did It. 

Finland Went From Energy Shortage To Negative Power Prices Thanks To Nuclear Power

Energy

European Union

Nuclear Power

Finland ousted its Left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin in a narrow three-way race during the parliamentary elections on Sunday, granting victory to the Nordic country’s center-Right National Coalition Party (NCP).
Marin, 37, a member of the Social Democrats party, conceded defeat with only 19.9% of the vote to NCP candidate Petteri Orpo, who won with 20.8%, followed by Right-wing populist party The Finns with 20.1%.
“We have gained support, we have gained more seats (in parliament). That’s an excellent achievement, even if we did not finish first today,” the prime minister said in a speech to party members, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/02/europe/sanna-marin-finland-elections-concedes-intl/index.html">CNN</a> reported.
Marin, who became the world’s youngest prime minister when she assumed office in 2019, faced backlash after private videos of her partying in an apartment and additional footage of her dancing intimately with another man who was not her husband during the COVID pandemic, according to <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2023/04/03/finland-sanna-marin-election-result-sdp-parliament/">The Daily Caller</a>.
She later issued an apology and took a drug test.
Critics of the young global leader also disapproved of her public government spending.
Orpo, 53, Finland’s newly elected prime minister and former finance minister, accused Marin of crumbling the country’s economy amid Europe’s energy crisis fueled by the war between Russia and Ukraine, which increased the cost of living.
“We got the biggest mandate,” Orpo said in a speech to followers, vowing to “fix Finland” and its economy, CNN reported.
Orpo said the country, which shares a long border with Russia, would continue supporting Ukraine.
“First to Ukraine: we stand by you, with you,” Orpo told the Associated Press at NCP’s victory event. “We cannot accept this terrible war. And we will do all that is needed to help Ukraine, Ukrainian people, because they fight for us. This is clear.”
“And the message to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is: go away from Ukraine because you will lose,” Orpo added.
Finland is expected to officially join NATO in the coming days as tensions between Europe and Russia remain high over the war in Ukraine.
Finland’s entrance into the intergovernmental military organization comes after Turkey became the final NATO member to approve the Nordic country’s application for membership, which officials first filed in May 2022.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin first announced their intent to join NATO nearly a year ago at a joint news conference in Helsinki. The long-neutral nation shares an 830-mile-long border with Russia, which has spooked neighboring countries with its attack on Ukraine.
Juhana Aunesluoma, a professor of political history at the University of Helsinki, told <a href="https://apnews.com/article/finland-election-sanna-marin-petteri-orpo-4f0eae386049e620191529a5e115d688">The Associated Press</a> that the nation of 5.5 million people cast about one-third of the votes to Left-wing parties and two-thirds to parties on the Right.
It was “a big swing from left to right,” Aunesluoma said.
The Associated Press reported that officials from the NCP have advocated for NATO membership for two decades. However, in order to become a member, Finland would need to meet a 2% military defense spending target.
“This is something that they will do,” Aunesluoma said. “But it won’t be easy, given that the government will actually be facing severe cuts in public spending,” adding that government officials would have to balance increasing the defense budget and cutting welfare spending.
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

Sanna Marin Prime Minister Of Finland At The European Council

Finland Swings Right, Ousting Progressive Prime Minister Sanna Marin

Finland Oust Left-Wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin

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