Finland’s Supreme Court has found parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen guilty of “hate speech” relating to the expression of her beliefs on marriage and sexual ethics for “making and keeping available to the public a text that insults a group”.
The Finnish MP will have to pay an €1,800 fine but is now looking to appeal.
“I am taking legal advice on a possible appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. This is not about my free speech alone, but that of every person in Finland,” she said after thhe verdict this morning.
“A positive ruling would help to prevent other innocent people from experiencing the same ordeal for simply sharing their beliefs,” she added.
In her 2004 pamphlet, titled Male and Female He Created Them: Homosexual relationships challenge the Christian concept of humanity, Räsänen outlines a Christian view of gender and sexuality.
In her text, she expressed concerns about the social and psychological effects of “normalising same-sex relationships” on children and adolescents.
“I am shocked and profoundly disappointed that the court has failed to recognise my basic human right to freedom of expression,” she said.
“I stand by the teachings of my Christian faith and will continue to defend my and every person’s right to share their convictions in the public square,” stated Päivi Räsänen after receiving the judgment.
At the time of publication of her pamphlet, same-sex marriage was not legalised in Finland.
Alongside her and also convicted is Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola for publishing and making the pamphlet available online.
ADF International reacted to the ruling arguing that this a “warning” to everyone.
ADF International is a faith-based, conservative Christian legal advocacy group that works to protect religious freedom, free speech, and sanctity of life across the globe.
“If a church pamphlet written decades ago can be censored – this could happen to anyone who dares to share their beliefs in the public square. A court ordering the destruction of written ideas is a chilling step toward state-ordered book burning,” it said.
“What have you published online over the years? A blog? A comment on a forum? A social media post? Under today’s ruling, any of it could be grounds for prosecution,” it insisted.
The Supreme Court ruling erases a previous judgment in her favour.
Both the Helsinki District Court and the Court of Appeal previously acquitted Räsänen of all charges, ruling her statements did not meet the legal threshold for incitement to hatred or defamation.
Following the verdict, the Finnish Association for Freedom of Speech and Religion warned about the possible negative implications for free expression.
“The ruling is deeply concerning for both freedom of speech and freedom of religion,” the association said.
It cautioned that such a precedent could act as a form of censorship, particularly limiting Christians’ ability to express their views and could create a chilling effect that discourages meaningful public debate.
“The decision broadens criminal liability to expressions that were previously lawful, making it increasingly difficult to know what might be considered criminal speech in the future, and thereby undermining legal certainty and freedom of expression,” its statement concluded.
Timo Soini, former chairman of the right-wing Finns Party, calls MP Päivi Räsänen’s sentence “politically motivated”.
This Finnish case is also featured in the Brussels Signal deep dive on free speech.
