A Finnish MP has been found guilty by the country's supreme court of inciting hatred after she declared that homosexuality is a "developmental disorder".
Päivi Räsänen, a member of parliament for the Christian Democratic Party, made this statement in a brochure originally published in 2004 and republished in 2007 on the pages of the Luther Foundation in Finland and the Finnish Evangelical Missionary Diocese.
In a 3-2 vote, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Räsänen committed a criminal offense when she republished the pamphlet on Facebook in 2019 and then on her website a year later. She was fined 1,800 euros. The court argued that her claim that homosexuality is a disorder of psychosexual development is incorrect.
In the court proceedings, Räsänen was supported by the American conservative organization Alliance Defending Freedom, which has used the case as an example of what it considers censorship in Europe.
After the verdict, Räsänen called the result "shocking" and said he was considering appealing to the European Court of Human Rights. Lower courts had previously acquitted him.
The decision sparked strong reactions in Finland. Politicians from her party and the Finns Party called for changes to the law, arguing that freedom of expression has been violated and that the current legislation is not clear enough for citizens.
Finland's Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo, refused to comment on the decision, stressing that politicians should not interfere with court decisions.
