Supreme Court Acquits MP for Bible Verse Tweet, Convicts Over Church Pamphlet
Finland’s Supreme Court has unanimously acquitted parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen of “hate speech” charges related to a 2019 social media post in which she cited a Bible verse to express her views on marriage and sexual ethics. At the same time, in a narrow 3–2 decision, the Court convicted Räsänen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola over the publication of a church pamphlet originally written in 2004.
The case against Räsänen, a long-serving member of parliament and former Minister of the Interior, dates back to 2019. She was investigated and prosecuted for seven years for three separate expressions of her beliefs on marriage and sexual ethics: a social media post quoting a Bible verse, participation in a radio debate, and the publication of a church pamphlet outlining the church's teaching on marraige and sexuality authored in 2004.
Räsänen was accued under a provision of the Finnish Criminal Code concerning incitement against a group, a section located within the chapter on “war crimes and crimes against humanity”. Both the District Court and the Court of Appeal had previously unanimously acquitted Räsänen on all charges.
On 26 March 2026, the Supreme Court issued its final ruling on two of the three charges, following an appeal by the prosecution.
The Court unanimously upheld Räsänen’s acquittal for her 2019 social media post, in which she had questioned her church’s decision to support a Pride event and justified her views by citing a biblical text. The Court found that the post did not meet the legal threshold for incitement, explicitly noting that she had grounded her statements in a reference to Scripture.
However, in a split 3–2 decision, the Court convicted Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola for the publication and continued availability of the 2004 church pamphlet. The Court held that the text “insulted a group” on the basis of sexual orientation, even while acknowledging that it did not contain incitement to violence or comparable threatening expressions.
A key element in the Court’s reasoning was that Räsänen had continued to make the pamphlet available online after a criminal investigation had been initiated in 2019. The Court imposed criminal fines and ordered that the statements be removed from public access. The Supreme Court was not asked to rule on the third charge concerning a radio debate, as the prosecution had not appealed that aspect of the earlier acquittals.
The case raises significant concerns from a religious freedom perspective. The Court’s unanimous acquittal regarding the Bible verse tweet confirms that the citation of Scripture, even in the context of public debate on controversial issues, falls within the scope of protected expression. At the same time, the conviction for a decades-old church pamphlet—particularly one that did not contain incitement to violence—has been met with concern.
Commenting on the ruling, Paul Coleman, Executive Director of ADF International, which supported Räsänen’s legal defence, raised concerns over a “conviction for a simple church pamphlet published decades ago – before the law under which she has been convicted was even passed.” He noted that the decision “will create a severe chilling effect for everyone’s right to speak freely.”
The case illustrates how the continued publication of traditional religious teachings may give rise to criminal liability, even where such teachings are expressed in a non-violent and doctrinal context.
Responding to the judgment, Räsänen stated: “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 has stated that she is considering an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that the case concerns not only her own freedom of expression but that of all individuals who wish to publicly share their beliefs.
Source and Image: ADF International