Finnish Politician Found Guilty of 'Hate Speech' over 22-Year-Old Church Pamphlet Appeals to ECHR
Räsänen says the ruling threatens free speech after a 3-2 Supreme Court decision fined her €1,800 and ordered the pamphlet destroyed.
- On Thursday, Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen announced she is appealing her March hate speech conviction to the European Court of Human Rights regarding a 22-year-old pamphlet condemning homosexuality.
- The Supreme Court convicted the parliamentarian in a 3-2 ruling under the Finnish Penal Code for 'agitation against a minority group,' ordering a €1,800 fine and pamphlet destruction despite stating the text did not incite violence.
- Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, who published the booklet with Räsänen more than 20 years ago, was also convicted; she contends the legislation is 'not sufficiently precise' under criminal code legality principles.
- "I feel it is my duty to appeal this decision, to reinstate respect for the basic human right" to express views, Räsänen said, as ADF International supports the legal challenge to defend freedom of speech.
- With the case now reaching the ECHR, observers view the proceedings as a litmus test for Christian expression and free speech standards across Europe amid encroaching threats to open discourse.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Finnish politician found guilty of 'hate speech' over 22-year-old church pamphlet appeals to ECHR
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 speec…
Finnish MP To Appeal ‘Hate Speech’ Conviction to Strasbourg
Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen announced today that she will take her conviction for “insulting a group” to the European Court of Human Rights, setting up a test of how far free speech and religious expression are protected under European law. The Finnish Supreme Court found her guilty in March 2026, by a narrow 3–2 majority, for disseminating a 2004 pamphlet to her religious community. In that text, Räsänen outlined the Christian conception of marria…
The Supreme Court convicted Räsänen in March of inciting against a group of people.
The Supreme Court handed down its verdict to MP Päivi Räsänen (kd) in March, but now Räsänen is reporting a new twist.
The Supreme Court (KKO) sentenced Räsänen to fines in March for inciting against a group of people.
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