Finland's Supreme Court delivers verdict in Päivi Räsänen case

After years of waiting for a verdict, the Supreme Court, in a 3-2 decision, has sentenced Räsänen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola to a 20-day fine for "inciting against a group."

The Lapin Kansa report also says that based on Räsänen's income, the fine is set at 1,800 EUR and, for her representative (Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola), 1,100 EUR. The booklet's publishing house, the Finnish Luther Foundation, is set to receive a corporate fine, which amounts to 5,000 EUR. Those sentenced will also be ordered to remove "sections deemed illegal from their online publications."

The recent charge refers to a booklet she published in 2004 entitled "Male and Female, He Created Them," which defends marriage as between one man and one woman and how homosexual relationships go against the "Christian understanding of humanity." According to the KKO, the booklet contains references that "insult gays as a group on the basis of sexual orientation."

In an ADF International report on the verdict, the Court ruled that Räsänen and the bishop are guilty for making the booklet "available to the public and having it kept available to the public for opinions that insult homosexuals as a group on the basis of their sexual orientation." However, they also said the booklet did not contain "incitement to violence" or "fomenting of hatred."

Despite the Supreme Court's decision, some good news did come in for Räsänen. The prosecutor's accusation that Räsänen's Twitter post called for incitement and insulted the gay community was dismissed. In Räsänen's post, she published a Bible verse (Romans 1:24-27) along with a criticism of the national Lutheran Church's support for an LGBTI Pride event in 2019, according to the Lapin Kansa report.

As a next step, Räsänen will consider appealing to the European Court of Human Rights. ADF International will continue to defend her case.

“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," Räsänen said after receiving the verdict, which was quoted in the ADF International report.

Based on previous CNE reporting, the lower courts, the District Court and the Court of Appeal, had dismissed all charges related to her case. However, the prosecutor decided to appeal against the dismissal and take the case to Finland's Supreme Court.

This is an ongoing story. More developments will be published as soon as they become available.