Lawmaker Convicted Under ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ Law for Writing Pro-Marriage Pamphlet
More than 20 years after Finnish lawmaker Päivi Räsänen published a church pamphlet criticizing homosexuality,Finland’s Supreme Court convicted her of “hate speech,” a decision she and her co-author,lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola,are now appealing to the European Court of Human Rights.
The court said Räsänen and Pohjola publicly shared views that insulted homosexual people based on sexual orientation, relying in part on the 2004 pamphlet (which described homosexuality as a “developmental disorder” and a “negative developmental disorder”). Räsänen was also connected to an Instagram post from 2019 involving Romans 1:24-27. Although lower courts had dismissed or upheld various aspects of the case, the Supreme Court ultimately found a violation and fined both writers €1,800.
Räsänen argues the conviction undermines freedom of expression and sets a dangerous precedent in Finland and across Europe. Pohjola similarly says the ruling was disappointing and that the state is overreaching by censoring religious beliefs and limiting what religious leaders may teach.
More than 20 years after a member of Finland’s parliament issued a pamphlet criticizing homosexuality, she has been condemned for hate speech by her country’s Supreme Court, leading to an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
Päivi Räsänen called homosexuality a “developmental disorder” in the pamphlet, which the court called “hate speech,” according to Fox News.
“The failure of the Finnish Supreme Court to uphold freedom of speech has set a dangerous precedent in my country and across Europe,” Räsänen said. “I feel it is my duty to appeal this decision, to reinstate respect for the basic human right that all are free to peacefully express their views in the public square.”
“I know I am not alone in facing unjust persecution under ‘hate speech’ laws that make sharing Christian beliefs a criminal offense. I make my appeal in the hope that the European Court of Human Rights will recognize that peacefully expressing one’s beliefs is never a crime, and ensure that this basic freedom is protected for all,” she said.
In the 2004 publication, titled, “Male and Female He Created Them: Homosexual Relationships Challenge the Christian Understanding of Humanity,” Räsänen wrote that homosexuality could be considered a “negative developmental disorder.”
She wrote a church pamphlet on marriage and sexuality in 2004. This year, the Finnish Supreme Court used that pamphlet to convict her of “hate speech.”
Thank you @ShannonBream for highlighting Päivi Räsänen’s shocking story—and Europe’s censorship crisis—on @FoxNewsSunday. pic.twitter.com/KwwDnXnflY
— Kristen Waggoner (@KristenWaggoner) May 24, 2026
“The scientific material unequivocally proves that homosexuality is a disorder of psycho-sexual development. Those who claim that homosexuality is a natural ‘healthy’ variety of sexuality nullify the evidentiary value found in family background studies for political reasons,” Räsänen wrote.
The conviction also applied to Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola, Räsänen’s colleague in writing the pamphlet.
According to a Hudson Institute op-ed written by Paul Marshall, the European Union’s Digital Services Act could be interpreted to ban that publication throughout Europe and perhaps in the United States as well.
The catalyst for the court ruling was a 2019 Instagram post of a photo of Romans 1:24-27.
Prosecutors claimed the post and the previous writings “threatened, defamed or insulted” homosexual and transgender people. The charges hung over Räsänen’s head until 2023, when a Finnish court dismissed them, upholding a 2022 lower court ruling.
But an appeal to the Supreme Court resulted in the ruling against Räsänen and Pohjola. The court claimed they “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,” citing Finnish law concerning “War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.”
The court ruled the violation was minor, fining the two writers 1,800 euros, which is about $2,100.
But Räsänen refused to bow down, and with the help of ADF International, they are appealing their criminal convictions to the European Court of Human Rights.
“The criminal conviction for a decades-old, peaceful church booklet shows just how far the Finnish state was willing to go to punish and censor views that depart from prevailing norms.”
Pohjola meanwhile said that “the Supreme Court’s decision to convict me and the Lutheran Foundation for publishing a booklet for our church was extremely disappointing.”
“As a Bishop, I have a responsibility to guide those under my pastoral care, and I am deeply concerned by the state’s extensive efforts to censor our beliefs and decide what can and cannot be taught by religious leaders to members of their own group,” he said.
“It is our intention to join Päivi Räsänen in appealing to the European Court of Human Rights in defense of our free speech and religious freedom rights, and those of everyone in Finland,” Pohjola said.
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