This is Matus Hagara, Campaigns Manager for Slovakia at CitizenGO. I am writing to you today to tell you about our trip to Helsinki (Finland) to bring hope and encouragement to Päivi Rasanen, the Finnish congresswoman who is facing jail for posting a Bible verse on her personal Twitter account.

So I travelled to Helsinki and met there with members of our team from Slovakia, Poland, Spain, UK and Colombia. We met Mrs. Rasanen in Helsinki, where she lives with her family.

Let me tell you: she was very touched when she saw the moral support of more than 200,000 people who signed the petition in CitizenGO. She especially appreciated the flowers we gave her in your name, as a way of thanking Päivi for her courage during this battle.

But that’s not all. Päivi also sent a warm message to you and all her thousands of supporters around the world, and you can’t miss it.

Please watch this short video where Päivi Räsänen thanks for your support and prayers and gives a voice of hope to keep on fighting for freedom of speech and the defense of family.

Click here to watch a video from the trip.

Päivi is due to stand trial in January, as the Attorney General has charged her with spreading hatred against minorities, for which she faces a 2-year prison sentence. Indeed, Päivi only shared a biblical quote on Twitter (Rom 1:24-27).

This prosecution is proof that Christians face serious persecution in Western society. And it is already happening today - freedom of speech and freedom of religion and its public practice are being suppressed in Canada and many other countries.

The case of Päivi Räsänen is unprecedented. If Päivi were convicted, the printing and sale of Bibles would have to be de facto banned in Finland, the right of churches to speak publicly about the truth of human sexuality would be suppressed, and Christians would not be able to hold public office if they expressed their views on family and marriage, because they would be committing criminal offenses.

And believe me, Finland would only be the beginning of this modern-day persecution. It could easily happen that LGBT activists would start suing Christians in Canada and practically anywhere in the Western world.

That's why we at CitizenGO felt a great need to act and initiated a petition in support of Päivi, which we personally delivered to her.

We also delivered more than 200,000 signatures to the prosecutor in charge of Päivi’s case. We went to the office of the Prosecutor General of Finland Raija Toiviainen, where we were received by a member of her staff and delivered all the signatures to her office with a clear message: to demand that she immediately withdraws all prosecution charges that are being brought against Päivi Räsänen!

Click here to see a pictures album with all of the best moments of our trip to Finland to support Päivi:

But I must say that despite the seriousness of the situation, Päivi is full of peace, courage and joy. She has a secure base in her family, but most of all she perceives the power of God's grace.

During the interview, she admitted that she is inspired by St. Paul, who was not afraid to witness for Jesus Christ even before the Roman Emperor, even though it ultimately cost him his head.

We at CitizenGO will keep on following the case of Päivi Räsänen closely and will let you know how to help in this campaign even more, as we rely on the commitment of active citizens like you only. Please stay vigilant by reading our emails. And please remember Päivi in your prayers.