Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen Appeals Supreme Court Hate Speech Conviction to European Court

Finland Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen is appealing a Supreme Court decision that convicted her of hate speech over a pamphlet from two decades ago that described homosexuality as a "developmental disorder."

Alliance Defending Freedom International, which represents Räsänen, said she will take the case to the European Court of Human Rights to defend her free speech rights. The Supreme Court issued the 3-2 ruling last month.

"The failure of the Finnish Supreme Court to uphold freedom of speech has set a dangerous precedent in my country and across Europe," Räsänen said. "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."

She added, "I know I am not alone in facing unjust persecution under ‘hate speech’ laws that make sharing Christian beliefs a criminal offense. I make my appeal in the hope that the European Court of Human Rights will recognise that peacefully expressing one's beliefs is never a crime, and ensure that this basic freedom is protected for all."

The conviction stemmed from a 2004 pamphlet titled "Male and Female He Created Them: Homosexual Relationships Challenge the Christian Understanding of Humanity." In it, Räsänen wrote that "the scientific material unequivocally proves that homosexuality is a disorder of psycho-sexual development. Those who claim that homosexuality is a natural 'healthy' variety of sexuality nullify the evidentiary value found in family background studies for political reasons."

In 2021, prosecutors charged Räsänen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola with agitation against a minority group. The charges covered the pamphlet, a 2019 tweet in which Räsänen questioned her church's sponsorship of an LGBTQ Pride event, an Instagram post with a picture of Romans 1:24-27, and a 2019 live radio debate.

Lower courts acquitted Räsänen and Pohjola twice, in 2022 and 2023. The Supreme Court cleared Räsänen's 2019 tweet for a third time last month.

ADF International legal counsel Lorcán Price, who is handling Räsänen's case, told Fox News Digital that the appeal aims to address Europe's censorship crisis. "Even if our clients are vindicated by the court, there is no changing that they have faced years of unjust prosecution for peaceful expression," Price said. "The only long-term way to solve this problem is to repeal 'hate speech' laws in Finland and across Europe, which have been used to censor Christians and others with views that differ from those of the ruling elite."

Price added, "Free speech was born in Europe, and it is of critical importance for Western civilization as a whole that the censorial trend, particularly evident in this case, is reversed."