Dear John,
<p>The hearing is over, and<strong> Päivi Räsänen once again stood firm before Finland’s Supreme Court.</strong></p> <p>Calm, composed, and full of grace, she spoke not only in her own defense but <strong>for every believer’s right to live and speak the truth without fear.</strong></p> <p>For six long years, Päivi has endured interrogations, public attacks, and trials that would exhaust anyone. Yet, as the doors of the courthouse in Helsinki opened, she carried herself as though she had already heard the only verdict that matters: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”</p> <p>After the hearing, I had the privilege of meeting Päivi face-to-face, along with my friends and colleagues, Agustín, Alexandra, Andrés, and Martin. We came on behalf of you — carrying your prayers, your signatures, and your words of encouragement from more than <strong>165,000 people around the world.</strong></p> <p>When we told her about the global movement standing behind her, Päivi was deeply moved and thankful.</p> <p>You can watch her message of thanks and see how our team made your support known outside Finland’s Supreme Court:<br /><br /><a href= "[link removed]" target="_blank" ><img src="[link removed]" alt="" width="350" height="175" constrain="true" imagepreview="false" border="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a><br /></p> <p>Inside the courtroom, Päivi spoke with the same calm conviction that has marked every stage of this long ordeal. </p> <p>While legal arguments unfolded around her, she reflected on the deeper sorrow of seeing the Bible opened not in reverence but as evidence to be weighed, saying:</p> <p><em>“It is difficult to overstate how surreal it is to see my faith, my conscience, and the Bible itself placed on trial in a democratic nation in my own country.”</em></p> <p>Supported by her legal team at ADF International, Päivi wasn’t only defending herself — <strong>she was standing for the right of every person to share their faith without fear.</strong></p> <p>Her words were full of grace and strength. She spoke about the Christian calling to speak the truth in love, reminding all who listened that her message was never meant to condemn but to bear witness to God’s truth and mercy.</p> <p>Later, she told us something that stayed with me:</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>“Even though this process has been long and there have been dark moments, my main experience is that I have received much more joy than troubles. God has been so good to turn bad things to good.”</em></p> <p>As I listened, I thought of how <strong>God so often takes what was meant for harm and turns it into something that glorifies Him.</strong> The Prosecutor General may have tried to put Scripture on trial — but God is using this moment to <strong>awaken courage and faith around the world.<br /><br /><img src="[link removed]" alt="" width="350" height="175" constrain="true" imagepreview="false" border="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br /></strong></p> <p><strong>The hearing has now concluded, and Finland’s Supreme Court will deliver its judgment in the months ahead, likely in the spring of 2026.</strong></p> <p>If Finland’s highest court upholds her previous two acquittals, it will set a precedent that protects every believer’s right to live out their faith without fear.</p> <p>But if it does not, we will see more cases of believers prosecuted for so-called “hate speech” simply for sharing the hope of the Gospel.</p> <p>Yet even then, light will shine in the darkness. God’s Word has always outlasted its opponents, quietly working through hearts that the world cannot reach. The truth of God’s Word will endure, and those who speak it in love will not stand alone, for the Lord Himself goes with them.<br /><br /><img src="[link removed]" alt="" width="350" height="175" constrain="true" imagepreview="false" border="" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br /></p> <p>Thank you, truly, for standing with Päivi. Your prayers, your signatures, and your messages have lifted her spirit — and they’ve shown Finland’s leaders that<strong> people of faith will not be silent when truth and freedom are threatened.</strong></p> <p>CitizenGO will continue to stand with Päivi, and with every man and woman who faces punishment for speaking the truth in love. <br /></p>
With thanks, as always, for your support,
Christopher Joyce and the entire CitizenGO Team
<!-- View as a Web Page: %mkt_webview_url%?mkt_tok=OTA3LU9EWS0wNTEAAAGeB3-MnGnBS2NNGDo1eVgqGv2PGiKKUbOj7p1y0SuqDeadRYqAX6IVmkEU5-q3TcCDv0vuLYhGU2J_56gO7pSo_SCXQm8EKIKpCAJzSNBVWADNu_Vb6C9R -->
<!-- ProgramID: 606517 -->
<!-- ProgramName: EN_US-2025-10-16-Global-FR-ADE-16755-On_trial-Paivi.09_AA_Report_Back -->
