Finland’s highest court has convicted veteran Christian MP, doctor, pastor’s wife and grandmother Päivi Räsänen of “hate speech” after what has been described as a series of modern day heresy trials.

Her lawyers from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) say the 66-year-old has been dragged through multiple courts for holding Biblical beliefs that “differed from the approved orthodoxy of the day.”

Dr. Räsänen was criminally convicted for publishing a pamphlet for her Lutheran church alongside co-accused Bishop Juhana Pohjola.

In the pamphlet, she expressed her beliefs on marriage and sexual ethics.

WHAT WAS IN THE OFFENDING PAMPHLET

It was titled “Male and Female He Created Them: Homosexual relationships challenge the Christian concept of humanity.“

At one point, the pamphlet argued that homosexuality is “disordered”.

The Supreme Court of Finland found by a narrow 3-2 majority that Dr. Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola were guilty for having “made available to the public and kept available to the public, opinions that insult homosexuals as a group on the basis of their sexual orientation”.

COURT CONCEDED OFFENDING TEXT DID NOT INCITE HATRED OR VIOLENCE

At the same time, the court conceded that: “it must be taken into account that the text forming the basis for the conviction did not contain incitement to violence or comparable threat-like fomenting of hatred.”

“The conduct is therefore not particularly serious in terms of the nature of the offence,” it added.

The Court’s primary concern was that: “After a preliminary investigation into the matter was launched in 2019, Dr. Räsänen continued to share the article on her own internet and social media pages in 2019 and 2020”.

The court fined Finland’s former Interior Minister A$3000 and ordered the erasure of the offending material from public availability and the destruction of all physical and digital copies.

COURT ACQUITS POLITICIAN OVER A BIBLE VERSE THAT SPARKED THE INVESTIGATION INTO HER

The Supreme Court unanimously acquitted Dr. Räsänen over her tweeting of a Bible verse in 2019.

Police first began investigating the grandmother of 12 in response to criminal complaints shortly after the tweet was posted, quoting Romans 1:24–27 to rebuke the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland for promoting LGBT “pride month.”

She questioned how the church could agree with “shame and sin” being presented as “a matter of pride.”

The Supreme Court unanimously held that it did not meet the criteria for the offence of incitement as she “justified her opinion by citing a Biblical text” among other things.

DR. RASANEN CONVICTED UNDER CODE FOR WAR CRIMES AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY

Dr. Räsänen was convicted of “hate speech” under a section of the Finnish criminal code titled “war crimes and crimes against humanity”.

She was first put on trial in early 2022 and again in 2023 by lower courts.

She was cleared both times.

The prosecutor then appealed both times to a higher court.

“I AM SHOCKED AND PROFOUNDLY DISAPPOINTED” 

In reaction to the verdict, Dr. Rasanen said: “I am shocked and profoundly disappointed that the court has failed to recognise my basic human right to freedom of expression.”

“I stand by the teachings of my Christian faith, and will continue to defend my and every person’s right to share their convictions in the public square.”

“I am taking legal advice on a possible appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.”

“This is not about my free speech alone, but that of every person in Finland.”

“A positive ruling would help to prevent other innocent people from experiencing the same ordeal as me for simply sharing their beliefs.”

GLOBAL ATTENTION ON FINNISH CASE AS A HARBINGER ON THE FUTURE OF FREE SPEECH

The high-profile case has received significant global attention, particularly after the prosecution attacked core Christian teachings and cross-examined Dr. Räsänen and the Bishop on their theology.

State prosecutor, Anu Mantila, claimed that: “You can cite the Bible, but it is Dr. Räsänen’s interpretation and opinion about the Bible verses that are criminal”.

Coordinated by ADF International, the legal defence highlighted the strong protection that freedom of speech enjoys in international law, in addition to being integral to Finnish democracy.

The verdict is being seen as a harbinger on the future of free speech in Europe.

“AN OUTRAGEOUS CASE OF STATE CENSORSHIP”

In reaction to the ruling, Paul Coleman, Executive Director of ADF International said: “Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy.”

“It is right that the Court has acquitted Päivi Räsänen for her 2019 Bible verse tweet.”

“However, the conviction for a simple church pamphlet published decades ago – before the law under which she has been convicted was even passed – is an outrageous example of state censorship.”

“This decision will create a severe chilling effect for everyone’s right to speak freely.”

“NO DEMOCRACY IS IMMUNE FROM THE EROSION OF FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS”

Kristen Waggoner, CEO, President, and Chief Counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom declared: “This ruling is a stark reminder that no democracy is immune from the erosion of fundamental freedoms.”

“Punishing peaceful expression, especially when it is based on deeply held religious convictions, undermines the very foundation of free societies.”

In 2024, Mr. Coleman likened Dr. Räsänen’s case to something from the Middle Ages and warned of “creeping censorship” afflicting the historically free nations of Europe.

“In a democratic Western nation today, nobody should be on trial for their faith”

“Yet throughout the prosecution of Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola, we have seen something akin to a ‘heresy’ trial, where Christians are dragged through court for holding beliefs that differ from the approved orthodoxy of the day.”

THE AMERICAN REACTION

Finnish prime minister Petteri Orpo who leads a right-leaning National Coalition party, declined to take a position on the Supreme Court’s decision, saying politicians should not comment on court decisions.

Senior US official Riley Barnes, speaking on behalf of the Trump Administration, made his feelings clear on the conviction: “Holding Christian beliefs isn’t a crime.”

“Finland’s ‘hate speech’ conviction of MP Päivi Räsänen – for simply writing a pamphlet defending the Bible – shows the tragic state of religious freedom in the West.”

“The United States stands opposed to these ideological attacks against the Christian faith.”

SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO’S VIEW

When he was a Senator, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed an open letter to the US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom at the start of the first trial in January 2022.

It said: “We are greatly concerned that the use of Finnish law is tantamount to a secular blasphemy law.”

“It could open the door for prosecution of other devout Christians, Muslims, Jews and adherents of other faiths for publicly stating their religious beliefs that may conflict with secular trends.”

“We believe that, regardless of whether Finnish prosecutors agree with the religious beliefs that MP Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola have expressed, all people have a fundamental right to the freedoms of religion and speech, which should be upheld without fear of government interference.”