

A lawmaker in Finland who stunningly was accused – and convicted – of quoting from the Bible, which the judiciary there deemed an insult to some people – has confirmed an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
Win or lose, that court likely is the final step for Päivi Räsänen, who was convicted by an appeals court in Finland for "expressing her beliefs on marriage and sexual ethics in a 2004 booklet written for her church."
It is ADF International that has worked on her case since it developed years ago.
"Appealing my conviction is about much more than a fine or a decades-old church booklet," said Räsänen following the filing of her appeal. "My case stands to determine whether the fundamental rights of religious freedom and free speech are still protected in Finland and across Europe, and whether these societies are still willing to stand up for the







