In Finland, an MP, a former interior minister, was put on trial for anti-gay campaigning over comments in which she called homosexuality a developmental disorder and a sin, Reuters reported.

In an unprecedented free speech case, the Helsinki District Court also has to decide whether referring to the Bible can be considered a crime in some cases.

According to the prosecutor, Paivi Rasanen, a doctor and MP for a small Christian Democratic party since 1995, called homosexuality a developmental disorder in an online letter published in 2004 and a shame and a sin on Twitter in 2019.

In a program broadcast by the Finnish public radio station Yle in 2019, Rasanen described homosexuality as a form of genetic degeneration, the prosecutor added, charging her with three counts of anti-gay campaigning.

Rasanen denied any wrongdoing and stated that the prosecutor's claims were unfounded.

In 2004, Rasanen stated that the scientific evidence undeniably proves that homosexuality is a violation of a person's psychosexual development and suggested that same-sex relationships at an early age can lead to sexual abuse by adult males.

In 2019, Rasanen questioned the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran State Church's decision to partner with a leading LGBTI rights association to organize a Pride event and posted an image of a Bible quote condemning same-sex relationships.

The prosecutor says that Rasanen should be fined.