Stunned Finnish Politician Found GUILTY Over Christian Beliefs Hits Back at Shocking Development

[00:00:00]Well, thank you, as always, for joining me. There's always an update, I feel like, in your story, and it's always a shocking update. And, you know, for those who don't know, you have spent the last number of years now in a battle over a tweet and a pamphlet that you wrote and an interview that you did talking about your Christian views on marriage. And, you know, we'll talk a little bit about that in a moment, but the latest development after the Supreme Court case unfolded in your country, in Finland, that found you um guilty over writing this pamphlet, um guilty of sharing your faith, essentially. Uh it's been a shocking, shocking moment. I know you're appealing that case, um and we'll talk about that, as well. But, the latest development is that you you learned that your UK travel authorization was revoked. Now, explain, how did you learn that, and what does that mean, exactly?

[00:00:56]>> Yes, I I was going to a conference to uh to California, to San Diego.

[00:01:05]And uh before that, I learned that I have to apply for the ETA, electronic travel authorization.

[00:01:17]Uh this uh nowadays, they they demand that. And the Bishop Juhana Pohjola, who also was convicted because of my booklet, uh he told me that he was canceled, that his appeal for this ETA was canceled.

[00:01:37]And after that, I I made also the appeal. And at first, at the 17th of June, I got a positive answer, but then, just 2 days before my travel, I got an email from the government of UK, where they said that uh that my my application was canceled.

[00:02:05]>> [gasps] >> Because of what I had told about my my my conviction.

[00:02:14]And >> [clears throat] >> Cuz you had to divulge. You had to say you had to put down, I would imagine, that you had a conviction. Now, because they brought you up on trial and you were convicted at the Supreme Court after winning twice, by the way.

[00:02:26]>> Yeah.

[00:02:26]>> You because you had to write that down, I would imagine, in that and that's the reason they denied you.

[00:02:31]>> Yes. Yes. That is just the reason.

[00:02:34]And then I I had to change my my travel, so I I couldn't go to Heathrow, but but I I changed this return flight.

[00:02:47]But now I have the problem that I'm uh I'm um invited uh to speak in Northern Ireland next month, in August, in in a conference about freedom of speech and freedom of faith.

[00:03:03]It is a Bangor uh worldwide missionary convention, a big conference for Christians and And now I don't know how to get there.

[00:03:16]I I just today I got uh to an immigration center here in Finland to give my fingerprints, and I try to get a visa. It is a little bit more difficult and more expensive, but I don't know if if it is possible. They they they will tell in 3 weeks if if I I can get it.

[00:03:41]>> This this um UTA this this UK travel authorization, what because I think a lot of people probably don't know what this is and what it means. It It allows you to travel within the UK. You have to have Do you have to have that authorization to be able to do that on airplanes?

[00:03:58]>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It is It is like if you are you are you are you are you are for want to travel from Europe to US, you have the ESTA uh procedure. It is a similar one. And >> [clears throat] >> it is quite new. It was just last year when when they started to demand this this authorization.

[00:04:22]Though I have I have traveled many times to UK as a member of parliament, as a minister of interior. I have visited the parliament many time and in fact I'm also um I I belong to a friendship group of of British parliamentarians in in in my parliament.

[00:04:45]So I I find it very very odd that that they they they do not want me to come there.

[00:04:54][laughter] >> And so does this affect you traveling pretty much anywhere in the UK on airplanes? I just want to clarify like this this impacts your ability to easily travel in the UK and it could be permanent?

[00:05:08]>> It is possible. I don't know yet. I don't know yet because the the visa process is just now going on.

[00:05:16]I I don't know what happens with that.

[00:05:19]>> This is >> But But I I can see and and also Bishop Juhana Pohjola has noticed. He was also He was also um uh his uh travel appeal was canceled uh to go to Australia.

[00:05:38]So this uh conviction from the Supreme Court, it really has consequences.

[00:05:48]>> Yeah, I mean it Yeah, and that's the thing. It's impacting your life. It's impacting your You're a sitting member of parliament in Finland. So, people understand this. I mean, this is crazy how this has unfolded. And outside of the the free speech and religious liberty pieces, I know we only have you for a couple one or two more minutes here, but outside of those, you now have these practical pieces of you not being able to travel as a result of this. Now, for those who don't know the story, we can't get into all the background now.

[00:06:14]We only have 2 minutes, but you the you were found guilty at the Supreme Court.

[00:06:19]Now, what Where does the case currently stand? What are you doing to fight back?

[00:06:23]>> Yes, this case has continued already over seven years. And and it started from a Bible tweet where I took a photo from the Bible. And and now I'm convicted for publishing and writing this pamphlet, this booklet, male and female he created them.

[00:06:45]And I I got uh this conviction last March.

[00:06:50]Before that, I was acquitted for all the charges in two courts, in district court and court of appeal.

[00:06:58]But now, there was a very close vote in Supreme Court, three to two, and I was convicted.

[00:07:06]And this really this has consequences to the freedom of speech and freedom of faith here in Finland.

[00:07:14]And especially I I'm I'm I'm worried for many Christians who are now afraid because they have written very similar views, biblical views that I have in this booklet. And they are afraid that they will be in in similar process in in the future. Now, I'm just appealing to the European Court of Human Rights. And I'm praying that it would give a good result that this this ruling of the Finnish Supreme Court would be would be cancelled.

[00:07:52]So, it would be the best solution, but just in in fact I'm I'm I'm going going to leave to appeal in in in just few days.

[00:08:04]>> Okay. Well, we will be praying for you on that and praying for you on this travel authorization. We appreciate you taking the time. We're going to continue to track with you on this case. It's an important one and we thank you for continuing to speak out as it goes on.

[00:08:17]>> Thank you so much. Thank you.