Finnish Politician Barred from UK Following Hate Speech Conviction

Finnish Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen has called on UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to intervene after her Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) was rescinded, preventing her from entering the United Kingdom. Räsänen, a former Finnish interior minister, was scheduled to speak on freedom of speech at a conference in Northern Ireland. While her travel documents were initially approved in June, they were cancelled in July. Räsänen and her legal representatives at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) suggest the denial is linked to her March conviction in Finland for "hate speech" regarding a 2004 booklet on biblical marriage and sexuality.

The travel restriction follows public opposition from Northern Ireland’s Alliance Party, whose members argued that hosting Räsänen at the Parliament Buildings in Stormont would violate the Assembly's commitment to inclusivity. Räsänen, who is currently appealing her conviction to the European Court of Human Rights, described the UK's decision as an act of state censorship. Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola, who was convicted alongside Räsänen, reportedly faces a similar entry ban. Räsänen ultimately addressed the conference remotely after her request for a full visa remained unanswered.