The Finnish medical doctor and Member of Parliament, Päivi Räsänen, announced on Thursday that she has lodged an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) after being found guilty last March of “hate speech” in connection with a Bible booklet published more than two decades ago.

Räsänen believes that the decision of the Finnish Supreme Court — adopted by a narrow majority of 3 votes to 2 — sets “a dangerous precedent” for freedom of expression and religion, both in Finland and across the rest of Europe. The MP maintains that appealing to the ECHR is “a duty” to defend the fundamental right to express one’s beliefs peacefully in the public sphere.

“I hope that the Court will send a clear message that no one should be subjected to a similar criminal process. Peaceful discussion must not be labeled a crime”, she added.

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The case dates back to 2019, when the police launched an investigation into the MP following the publication of a post on social media platform X in which she quoted Romans 1:24–27 to criticise the support of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland—to which she then belonged—for LGBT Pride events.

For six years, Räsänen was subjected to various legal proceedings and was acquitted on two occasions by lower courts. Finally, the Finnish Supreme Court acquitted her of the charges relating to the tweet, ruling that it was a biblical quotation and did not constitute hate speech, but upheld the conviction linked to a leaflet published in 2004.

The text, entitled Male and Female He Created Them: Homosexual Relationships Challenge the Christian Concept of Humanity, was deemed by the high court to be potentially offensive to homosexual people, particularly for describing homosexuality as “intrinsically disordered”.

As a result of the ruling, Räsänen was ordered to pay a fine of €1,800 and all physical and digital copies of the pamphlet were ordered to be destroyed. Juhana Pohjola, the Lutheran bishop responsible for publishing the text more than twenty years ago, was also found guilty.

 

The legal proceedings have raised international concern due to their implications for freedom of expression. Among others, the case has been monitored by the US State Department and by organisations defending civil and religious liberties.

In an interview with Protestante Digital and Evangelical Focus last year, Räsänen stated that the case affects not only her personal situation, but also the possibility of publicly defending biblical teachings in Europe.

“We’ve never had a case quite like this before. It’s not just important for Christians, but for anyone who values the freedom to express deeply held beliefs, convictions, or faith”, said the Finnish MP at the time, describing the trial as “Bible trial”, an expression also used by some secular media outlets in her country.

In that conversation, held during the European Evangelism Congress in Berlin, Räsänen explained that, despite the wear and tear of six years of investigation and court proceedings, she had experienced “more joy than suffering”, believing the case had opened up opportunities for her to speak publicly about the Gospel and fundamental freedoms.

From the beginning, the parliamentarian and former Interior Minister of Finland has been warning of the deterrent effect that such proceedings can have on other Christians. “The greatest threat to these freedoms is self-censorship: the fear of speaking out,” she noted.

Now, with the appeal lodged before the ECHR, Räsänen hopes that the European court will reaffirm that the peaceful expression of religious convictions cannot be considered a crime and set a precedent that protects freedom of expression and religion across Europe.

Published in: Evangelical Focus – europe
– Europe, last stop in Päivi Räsänen’s fight for freedom of expression