Finnish MP and former interior minister Päivi Räsänen says the UK has barred her from entering the country, revoking her electronic travel authorisation (ETA) after she was convicted of a "hate speech" offence in Finland. The case highlights ongoing controversy over the criminalisation of religious speech in Europe and raises questions about how foreign convictions for expressing religious beliefs are treated under UK entry rules.

Räsänen was originally charged over comments she made in 2004 regarding her Christian beliefs on sexuality, a case that has drawn support from religious freedom advocates including Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) chief executive Kristen Waggoner. She has appealed her Finnish conviction to the European Court of Human Rights, and has now spoken publicly, alongside Waggoner, about the UK's decision to deny her entry, framing it as part of a wider pattern of Western governments restricting speech tied to religious conviction.