Christian conservative group condemns Finnish MP’s hate speech conviction as attack on free speech

The US-based Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) has sharply criticised the Finnish Supreme Court’s ruling against MP Päivi Räsänen (Christian Democrats), calling it a threat to freedom of speech and religion, Yle reports.

Räsänen was convicted of inciting hatred against a minority group after reposting a 2004 pamphlet titled Male and Female He Created Them: Homosexual Relationships Challenge the Christian View of Humanity on her Facebook page in 2019. The court found the content constituted unlawful agitation.

In a statement, ADF’s executive director Paul Coleman warned the verdict creates a “chilling effect” on free expression, while CEO Kristen Waggoner argued that “punishing peaceful expression—especially when rooted in deeply held religious beliefs—erodes the foundation of free societies.”

Räsänen, who testified before the US House Judiciary Committee in February at the invitation of Republican chairman Jim Jordan, said she is considering an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. Jordan had framed her case as an example of “European censorship.”

Founded in the US in the 1990s, ADF is known for opposing abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. It has backed high-profile legal cases in the US and anti-abortion protests in Europe, including demonstrations outside clinics in Germany.