25/08/2026
🚫 Censored from Speaking at a Conference About Censorship
✈️ Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen’s UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) was abruptly revoked after already being approved, barring her from flying to Northern Ireland for a keynote address on - ironically - religious liberty and free speech.
This stems from a years-long legal battle over a church booklet she wrote on Christian marriage back in 2004, a conviction she is currently appealing to the ECHR.
"It is shocking that the UK blocked a democratically elected politician from an allied European state," Päivi said.
After she filed an urgent full visa application and personally appealed to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, the UK Home Office finally granted her entry permission at 6.45pm on Friday - a whole 45 minutes before her 7.30pm speech. She had no choice but to address the room virtually instead. 💻
This ludicrous ordeal only underscores how bad censorship has become in the UK, where foreign commentators like Eva Vlaardingerbroek were similarly stopped from entering over their deeply held beliefs and public commentary.
When a nation starts barring visiting public figures over their peaceful beliefs, is it just proving the speakers' point? 🤔
