An MP from the populist right-wing Finns Party, James Hirvisaari, has been convicted for inciting hatred against an ethnic group by the Kouvola Court of Appeal.
The court ruled that Hirvisaari had published a text in his blog on the Uusi Suomi website that incited hatred against a religious, ethnic or similar group. The court said that Hirvisaari understood that the text was slanderous and likely to cause contempt and hatred towards Muslims. Hirvisaari will now have to pay 25 day-fines, which according to his income amounts to 1,425 euros.
Päijät-Häme district court threw out the charges around a year ago, saying that the text Hirvisaari published simply exercised his freedom of speech.
In his blog post Hirvisaari wrote:
“Unfortunately, with rampant Muslim immigration to Finland, there will also be an increase in genuine racism, which will target especially the Jews, but also the native population and other ethnic groups. And on top of that, discrimination, unbearable arrogance and rude behaviour, anger, women’s oppression, genital mutilation of children, sexual harassment, persecution of minorities, rioting, flag burning, disturbances, drugs, looting, rape crimes, paedophilia, polygamy, child marriages, shame-based violence, ritual slaughter, whippings, stonings and other thoroughly revolting and truly twisted practices and occurrences. Eventually, even suicide bombings and terrorism. That is, if we do not dance exactly according to their tune.”