A Finnish parliamentarian has announced she will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights after she was found guilty of hate speech for a 22-year-old church pamphlet.
Päivi Räsänen, who previously served as Interior Minister, was convicted alongside Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola and the Luther Foundation Finland for the 2004 publication addressing marriage and sexual ethics.
“The failure of the Finnish Supreme Court to uphold freedom of speech has set a dangerous precedent in my country and across Europe,” Ms Räsänen stated.
“I feel it is my duty to appeal this decision, to reinstate respect for the basic human right that all are free to peacefully express their views in the public square.”
The conviction marked the culmination of a prosecution spanning nearly seven years, during which Ms Räsänen faced charges not only for the booklet but also for a 2019 social media post featuring a Bible verse and comments made during a live radio programme.
Both lower courts in Finland had unanimously cleared her of all accusations in 2022 and 2023, yet state prosecutors persisted in pursuing the matter further.
When the Supreme Court delivered its verdict in March, the five judges reached a split decision.
By a 3:2 majority, they upheld the conviction for the church publication whilst simultaneously acquitting Ms Räsänen over the Bible verse tweet.
Päivi Räsänen has announced she will appeal to the ECHR following her conviction
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The radio broadcast charge had not been brought before the highest court, meaning that earlier acquittal remained in place.
Ms Räsänen was prosecuted under Finland’s 2011 legislation prohibiting “agitation against a minority group,” a provision falling within the criminal code’s chapter on war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The law came into force years after the 2004 booklet was originally published.
The Supreme Court itself acknowledged that the publication “did not contain incitement to violence or comparable threat-like fomenting of hatred.”
The ECHR marks the final step that can be taken to get the ruling overturned
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Nevertheless, the court imposed fines of several thousand euros on Ms Räsänen, Bishop Pohjola, and the Luther Foundation Finland.
Additionally, judges ordered that the offending passages within the pamphlet must be removed from public circulation and destroyed.
“I know I am not alone in facing unjust persecution under ‘hate speech’ laws that make sharing Christian beliefs a criminal offense,” Ms Räsänen said.
“The Supreme Court’s decision to convict myself and the Luther Foundation for publishing a booklet for our church was extremely disappointing,” Bishop Pohjola remarked.
He expressed deep concern over governmental attempts to regulate what religious leaders may teach members of their own congregations.
“As a Bishop, I have a responsibility to guide those under my pastoral care, and I am deeply concerned by the state’s extensive efforts to censor our publications and decide what can and cannot be taught by religious leaders to members of their own group,” he added.
Mr Pohjola confirmed he would be joining Ms Räsänen’s challenge at the Strasbourg court, defending both free expression and religious liberty rights for all Finnish citizens.
This appeal to the European Court of Human Rights represents the final avenue through which the conviction might be overturned.
