The Supreme Court ruled that statements in Räsänen's 2004 pamphlet insulted homosexuals as a group based on sexual orientation and constitute incitement. This conviction relates specifically to her pamphlet titled 'Male and Female He Created Them: Homosexual Relationships Challenge the Christian Understanding of Humanity'. In that publication, Räsänen described homosexuality as a psychosexual developmental disorder and sexual deviation. The court also considered her republishing of the pamphlet online in late 2019 as a factor in its decision, which contributed to the finding of incitement.
The legal proceedings lasted nearly seven years. The Supreme Court's decision was a split 3-2 vote. The prosecutor general brought the case to the Supreme Court seeking a precedent-setting ruling.
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Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Finnish Luther Foundation Diocese was also convicted of incitement against a minority group and sentenced to 20 day-fines. Räsänen was acquitted for many other statements, including social media posts from 2019 and statements on a radio program.
Räsänen is a physician by education and holds a Licentiate of Medicine. She has conservative views on homosexuality, abortion, and migration. In 2019, Räsänen was investigated for incitement after criticizing her own church's official participation in LGBT Pride events. The prosecutor general accused Räsänen of hate speech for saying homosexual relationships are sinful.
It is what Christians have been teaching for hundreds of years, and it is not hate speech. I have not insulted or defamed anyone.
Political reactions to the conviction have emerged within Finland's government. Finance Minister Riikka Purra said the incitement law needs to be changed. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo declines to comment on calls to change the law following the conviction.
The case has attracted international attention, including from fundamentalist groups in the United States. Räsänen testified before a US congressional hearing at the invitation of Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee last month. According to www.hungarianconservative.com, Päivi Räsänen described her statements as consistent with Christian teaching and denied they constituted hate speech.
All people are equal and created in the image of God, but are all sinners.
Räsänen is considering an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
The specific legal arguments Räsänen and her defense team presented in the Supreme Court have not been detailed in available reports.
I was 'shocked' by the ruling and am considering filing an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights.
The exact content of the 2004 pamphlet that led to the conviction, beyond the descriptions provided in court documents, has not been fully disclosed.
How the precedent set by this ruling will affect future cases involving freedom of speech and incitement laws in Finland remains to be seen. The detailed reactions from international human rights organizations to this conviction have not been comprehensively documented in available sources.