A Finnish member of parliament has launched an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) following her conviction of hate speech for expressing Christian views on marriage and sexuality. On March 26, 2026, the Finnish Supreme Court found the former leader of the Finnish Christian Democrats Päivi Räsänen guilty by a 3-2 decision, with one charge relating to views expressed in a 2004 church booklet.

The church booklet, authored by Päivi in 2004, led to her conviction on the grounds that “after a preliminary investigation into the matter was launched in 2019, Päivi continued to share the article on her own internet and social media pages in 2019 and 2020.”

Päivi, who has served as a member of the Finnish Parliament since 1995, and was Minister of the Interior between 2011 and 2015, had been charged with hate speech in April 2021. The Finnish Supreme Court heard her case on October 30, 2025, following the state prosecutor’s appeal against a second unanimous court ruling that acquitted both Päivi and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the hate speech allegations.

The Supreme Court unanimously acquitted Päivi for a 2019 Bible verse post on Twitter (now X), but imposed criminal fines of several thousand Euros and ruled that the impugned statements must be “removed from public access and destroyed”.

Päivi said: “I am shocked and profoundly disappointed that the court has failed to recognize 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.”

She said the appeal was about “much more than a fine or a decades-old church booklet”.

“My case stands to determine whether the fundamental rights of religious freedom and free speech are still protected in Finland and across Europe, and whether these societies are still willing to stand up for the rights of all – even those they disagree with.”

Päivi’s legal defence has been coordinated by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). Lorcán Price, who is a barrister at ADF International, called the conviction “outrageous”.

Price 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.”

He said the ECHR’s decision would determine whether European law “will continue to protect the freedom to peacefully express one’s beliefs in the public square”.

“Because if peaceful expression like a decades-old church booklet can be criminalised and retroactively censored, free and open debate in Europe is no more. We urge the Court to admit this case, which presents a critical opportunity to reaffirm these basic freedoms and ensure that citizens are not prosecuted for peacefully expressing their beliefs.”

Päivi has filed the appeal to the European Court of Human Rights alongside Bishop Pohjola and the Luther Foundation Finland, and will be represented by ADF International.