Finnish politician Paivi Rasanen is appealing to the European Court of Human Rights.
In March this year she was convicted by Finland’s Supreme Court for "insulting" a group, over traditional views on marriage and sexuality she expressed in a church booklet in 2004. Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola and the Luther Foundation Finland were also convicted for publishing the booklet, and alongside Räsänen were ordered to pay thousands of Euros in fines. The court also ruled that the statements within the booklet must be destroyed.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) which is representing Räsänen in her appeal said it’s the last opportunity to overturn the conviction and would mark the end of Rasanen’s seven-year legal process.
Rasanen said: “Appealing my conviction is 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.”
Räsänen’s appeal comes amid growing international concern over freedom of speech in Europe. ADF said it’s concerned about “overbroad ‘hate speech’ legislation that criminalises and discourages the peaceful expression of dissenting views, including certain Christian beliefs”.
Rasanan added: “As a Member of Parliament and a Christian who has faced censorship and years of criminal investigation, I am profoundly aware of the devastating consequences of curtailing basic liberties. The European Court of Human Rights must decisively uphold these freedoms and promote the common good across Europe”.
Earlier this month, Räsänen was informed that her Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) needed to travel to the UK had been cancelled, despite her application initially being approved in June. Bishop Pohjola also applied for an ETA and was denied clearance.
Lorcan Price a barrister at ADF who is representing Rasanen said she had been “criminally convicted for peacefully expressing her Christian beliefs.
“Her ban from entering the United Kingdom is completely disproportionate and unnecessary.”
“It is clear that Europe is facing a crisis of censorship, of which the conviction for a 20-year-old church booklet is among the most egregious examples.
“Europe’s highest court must now decide 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”.