Finnish Politician Appeals to UK for Entry After Travel Ban
Päivi Räsänen, a Finnish Christian politician, is seeking intervention from the UK’s Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood following a ban on her entry into the United Kingdom.
Räsänen was found guilty of “hate speech” after a lengthy seven-year legal battle in Finland. On March 26, the Finnish Supreme Court convicted her with a close 3-2 verdict. Räsänen, who has been a member of parliament since 1995 and served as the former interior minister, faced this ruling.
The conviction stemmed from her expressions of biblical views on marriage and human sexuality in a 2004 publication titled “Male and Female He Created Them.” The court imposed a fine of 1,800 euros ($1,950) and required her to pay legal expenses, overturning two previous lower court acquittals.
Räsänen has contested her conviction by taking the case to the European Court of Human Rights.
Initially, Räsänen was scheduled to speak at a Northern Ireland conference focusing on religious freedom and freedom of speech. Although she received Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) in June, it was revoked in July. The reasons for this revocation by the Home Office remain undisclosed.
In response, Räsänen has reached out to British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, requesting a visa to attend the conference as originally planned.
In her statement, Räsänen expressed, “It is shocking that the UK has blocked me, a democratically elected politician in an allied European state, from entering the country. I was convicted of ‘hate speech’ in Finland for peacefully expressing my Christian views. This was an egregious case of state censorship, noted with concern by observers around the world, including the US State Department and the US Religious Liberty Commission.
“Even though this unjust conviction is currently on appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, the UK has likely refused me travel authorisation on this basis. In doing so, the UK is punishing me for exercising my fundamental human rights.
“I call on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to urgently intervene to allow me to enter the UK to speak at this event. There is still time for this censorship to be reversed.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
