Finnish Politician Appeals Hate Speech Conviction to European Court

Finnish Politician Appeals to European Court After Conviction Over LGBT Comments

In a landmark move, Finnish politician Päivi Räsänen has announced her intention to take her case to the European Court of Human Rights. Her decision follows a controversial ruling by the Finnish Supreme Court, which found her guilty of insulting the LGBT community through a pamphlet on sexual ethics written decades ago.

Alongside Räsänen, Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola faced conviction for “making and keeping available to the public a text that insults a group.” This recent judgment comes after two previous acquittals in lower courts, with the Supreme Court reversing these decisions after an appeal from the state.

Räsänen expressed her concerns about the implications of the ruling on freedom of speech, stating, “The failure of the Finnish Supreme Court to uphold freedom of speech has set a dangerous precedent in my country and across Europe. 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 Supreme Court’s decision was narrowly split, with a 3 to 2 vote against Räsänen. As part of the ruling, it ordered the destruction of all copies of the contentious booklet and imposed fines amounting to thousands of euros on Räsänen, Bishop Pohjola, and the Luther Foundation Finland.

Räsänen further remarked, “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.”

Commenting on the case, Lorcán Price, a member of Räsänen’s legal team from ADF International, criticized the Finnish ruling, describing it as “retroactive censorship” and a “chilling” development. He stated, “The ‘hate speech’ laws used to convict Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola clearly contradict international human rights law regarding freedom of speech and freedom of religion. If such laws can be interpreted so broadly as to include a decades-old church booklet, how can anyone in Finland be certain that anything they have said, or will say, will not be prosecuted?”

Price emphasized the need for the European Court of Human Rights to take a definitive stance, saying, “It is imperative that the European Court of Human Rights clarify and protect these fundamental freedoms definitively.”