Finnish Supreme Court Hears Hate Speech Case Against Christian Politician, Bishop

Finnish parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen faces the Supreme Court over hate speech charges stemming from her 2019 social media post quoting Romans 1:24-27, which criticized the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland's sponsorship of a Pride event. Despite being acquitted twice by lower courts, prosecutors appealed, arguing that her statements and a 2004 pamphlet questioning church support for LGBTQ+ events constitute incitement against a minority group. Räsänen, a former Interior Minister and longtime MP, maintains her statements reflect Biblical teachings and are expressions of religious conviction rather than hate speech. Her legal defense, coordinated by Alliance Defending Freedom International, asserts that criminalizing her citations would effectively outlaw the Bible itself, raising concerns about free speech and religious freedom in Finland. The case has attracted international attention for its implications on faith-based expression and the limits of hate speech laws in democratic societies. Räsänen has expressed hope that justice will uphold free speech rights, emphasizing that sharing Scripture should not be criminalized.