Finnish MP Convicted Over Church Pamphlet in 3-2 Ruling
Finland's Supreme Court found MP Päivi Räsänen guilty for republishing a 2004 church pamphlet, fined her and ordered removal of statements, prompting calls for legal change from government ministers.
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Overview
The Supreme Court of Finland on Thursday found parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen guilty of inciting hatred for republishing a 2004 pamphlet, voting 3-2 and fining her €1,800, the court said.
The pamphlet was first published in 2004, reproduced online in 2007, and Räsänen republished it on Facebook in 2019 and on her website the following year, the court's ruling said.
Government ministers from Räsänen's party and the nationalist Finns party, including Justice Minister Leena Meri and Deputy Prime Minister Riikka Purra, called for changes to the law and defended freedom of speech, officials said.
The conviction, backed legally by the Alliance Defending Freedom, follows unanimous acquittals in two lower courts and has drawn international attention, court documents and statements said.
The court ordered that certain statements be removed from public access and destroyed, and Räsänen said she would consider appealing to the European Court of Human Rights.
Analysis
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FAQ
The pamphlet, titled 'Male and Female He Created Them: Homosexual relationships challenge the Christian concept of humanity,' expressed Christian views on marriage and sexual ethics, including concerns about the social and psychological effects of normalizing same-sex relationships on children and adolescents.
The Supreme Court unanimously acquitted Päivi Räsänen on the charge related to her 2019 Bible verse tweet from Romans 1:24-27, where she questioned her church's support for an LGBT Pride event.
Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola was convicted alongside her for publishing the 2004 church pamphlet.
She was fined €1,800 for 'inciting hatred' or 'hate speech' related to the pamphlet, and the court ordered certain statements to be removed from public access and destroyed.
Government ministers from Räsänen's party and the Finns Party, including Justice Minister Leena Meri and Deputy Prime Minister Riikka Purra, called for changes to the law and defended freedom of speech.
