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I'm going to Western Country with a long history of association with Christianity,

even a state church, a Lutheran state church.

Country passes hate crimes legislation and then to Lutheran leaders find themselves on trial.

Criminal charges of hate crimes committed for statements that they have made on human sexuality,

just simply stating the historic position of both scripture and the church on human sexuality.

Welcome back to Issues, etc. I'm Todd Wilkin.

Joining us for an update on the criminal trial of two Finnish Lutheran leaders for statements on human sexuality.

Paul Coleman, he's executive director of Alliance Defending Freedom International.

ADF is providing support for both of the defendants in this case, and he joins us from Vienna.

Paul, welcome back.

Thank you for having me on.

What is the latest development in this ongoing legal persecution of Dr. Poppy Rossin and Bishop Johanna Puyola?

Dr. Poppy Rossin was facing three criminal charges for hate speech and Bishop Johanna won criminal charge.

They went on trial in 2022 at the Helsinki District Court.

Both of them were fully acquitted and then the regional prosecutor appealed that ruling of the district court,

which allowed to do in Finland, and so the case was retried in the Court of Appeal last week in Helsinki.

So both Pavy and Bishop Johanna faced trial again for hate speech for expressing their deeply held Christian beliefs.

Give us a history of this case.

The case really began in 2019, so four years ago now, when Pavy tweeted a picture of some Bible verses directed at the state church and its leadership,

...