By Enrique Tessieri
A Somali male held in police custody since September for allegedly supporting terrorism abroad was released today by a Helsinki court, according to YLE. The police said that the man, who was deprived of his liberty for seven months, cannot leave the country because investigations are still ongoing.
Kaj-Erik Björkvist of the police told YLE that the released man is still a suspect together with five others for supporting al-Shabaab, a terrorist organization based in southern Somalia.
Even if no Finnish media will not ask an important-yet-obvious question in light of the ongoing civil war in Somalia and the ever-worsening atmosphere for immigrants in Finland, Migrant Tales will: Why has it taken so long to pin anything on the suspects?
Fine, this could be due to police resources and the fact that getting hard evidence from war-torn Somalia may be easier said than done.
However, whether the men are found guilty or not of the charges against them, the whole case is bad news for the immigrant never mind Somali community of Finland, especially during these times when an anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam party won 39 seats in last year’s parliamentary election.
Writes JusticeDemon: “Assuming that the case is eventually dropped entirely or only minor charges are preferred, then the next stage may be to seek compensation from the State for unlawful deprivation of liberty. This will initially turn on whether the District Court acted reasonably and proportionately in ordering remand detention, and secondarily on whether the police acted correctly in turn by fully advising the court of the pertinent evidence, including exculpatory details and the forensic reliability of sources.”
When Migrant Tales reported back in September about the arrest of two people suspected for supporting terrorism abroad, it didn’t take long for the finger-pointing to begin in Finland. Some blamed former minister for immigration and European affairs, Astrid Thors, for bringing terrorists to the country.
The longer this case drags on the more damage it will cause irrespective if the suspects are found guilty or not.
Now we know the meaning why justice must act swiftly.
Finns should leave Somalis alone and worry abour Russians and Estonians, Somalians arent threat to these guys, they’re only focusing on culutural factors, when infact a bigger threat is coming from their neighbours, how idiocity, while Finns are focusing on minor factors, the bigger factors are taking at place.
Kunniotus Reija Härköselle siitä että taistelee rasismia vastaan, monilta Suomalaisilta ei löydy saman kaltaista uskallusta. We need more people like Reija Härkönen, she’s a good example of a true Finn who seeks righteousness and equality humanrights for everyone, despite color or ethnicity.
The allegations of the Somali victim were baseless which eventually they freed him because they don’t have any evidence that he was threat to Finland and its people. But only prejudice against Somali Community and Islam.
Akaaro, it does sound pretty incredible that they can detain a person for such a long time. Even if the police have not been able to bring any charges on him, it’ll be interesting to watch what their final verdict will be.
I do hope they seek compensation for the overly long process and unlawful deprivation of liberty. Finland has a bad record of dragging court cases on to eternity. And the fact that no evidence has been found tells loud and clear that they’ve been detained so long simply for the purpose of finding or fabricating anything that could be used against them. Because “we just hate them so” isn’t very valid in court (anymore).
Hi Sunatic, think about this person’s life (about six months under detention) never mind its impact on the Somali and immigrant communities. One matter that surprises me is that no Finnish media is even questioning what happened. They could, for example, asked some of the questions we asked.
“These times when an anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam party won 39 seats in last year’s parliamentary election.”
This is a lie and you know it. The True Finns is not an anti-Islam, and especially, not an anti-immigration party.
Anonymous, remember Ylilauta? Does Joni Debt and Seriously wring a bell?
You come to Migrant Tales calling me a liar. In the first place, learn some simple manners and then learn how to debate an issue.
The PS ARE exactly that: anti-EU, anti-immigration and anti-Islam.
They’re not not anti-EU but eurosceptic. You could also try to tell WHY do you think they are against immigration and Islam.
Anonymous, it’s not difficult to group a right-wing populist party like the PS. They may have different names in Europe but they have the same characteristics: anti-EU, anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam.
OK, let’s just play that I am wrong. Could you show us on Migrant Tales where the PS isn’t anti-immigration and not anti-Islam.
“OK, let’s just play that I am wrong. Could you show us on Migrant Tales where the PS isn’t anti-immigration and not anti-Islam.”
Here is a link to the “Nuiva vaalimanifesti”, a manifesto concerning immigration.
You should also look at the people who have signed it; Jussi Halla-aho, for example, whom I think you would label to be against immigration.
The ideology of True Finns also doesn’t contain anti-Islamism, so you really can’t say they are anti-Islam.
Oops, forgot the link:
http://www.vaalimanifesti.fi/
Anonymous, what is so favorable for immigrants in that manifesto?
Anonymous
Which Finnish parliamentary political party is most hostile to immigrants and Islam?
Suppose you want to make immigration as difficult as possible and remove all possible obstacles to expulsion, and you also want to discourage any form of Islamic influence in Finland, then which Finnish parliamentary political party would be the last to kick you out for zealously pursuing such aims?
Choose one and explain why.
“Anonymous, what is so favorable for immigrants in that manifesto?”
So if someone makes a statement that isn’t favorable for immigrants, he’s against immigration?
No Anonymous, the point if you look at the people who signed this manifesto three (Halla-aho, Hirvisaari, Van Wonterghem) have been fined for defamation and/or hate speech. Some who signed it are extremists as well such as Teemu Lahtinen. All those who endorsed this manifesto have some gripe against immigrants and/or Muslims.
What you are seeing on those signatures is the face of fascism in Finland but in a 2010s context. It’s a bit different from the 1930s model but the same beast. Today they hate Muslims but in the past it was the Jews; Roma before, Roma today.
In my opinion, there is nothing good in that manifesto for immigrants. It is only a political document, a declaration of war if you will, against all people who are different from their view of what a Finn is.
Here is a link that Migrant Tales wrote about the manifesto.
Anonymous
It’s quite clear from that manifesto that it’s against immigrants from Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq, which just happen to be three of the countries at the forefront of the fight against terrorism, and two of which were previously at the forefront of the Cold War. Now if it isn’t enough that these countries have been the plaything of a brutally fought international proxy war for 5 decades and latterly another decade of the war against terror, this manifesto identifies these people as being ‘less’ than other human beings in terms of their ‘international rights’. In fact, the entire manifesto completely rejects the whole notion of humanitarian refugees and rather turns the entire international migration phenonomen into a ‘immigrant shop for wealthy nations’, who can happily force ‘brain drain’ on developing countries with impunity and yet take absolutely no burden for the other types of immigrant, i.e. the poor and the persecuted.
Indeed, you cannot let all the world’s poor into Finland, but if you take this manifesto’s policies, you would very quickly make those poor already in Finland much poorer again. And then, if that poverty led to crime, then those poor would be deported. Problem solved eh! Deny them benefits after a year, and when they have to steal to survive, it is grounds to kick em out. And who the hell is going to be in a position to get a job in Finland after a year of being here? In fact, although the manifesto gives lip service to the idea of women’s rights in the developing world, such a policy would actually actively discriminate against female immigrants that come to Finland and are illiterate. So they have to learn to read, write, study and communicate effectively in Finnish, let alone their own language, in 12 months or all their benefits will be stopped!
That Manifesto is a recipe for disaster!
Hi Anonymous.
You probably will defend the right of Finns to find their well-fare and well-being somewhere else, do you?? More than a million Finns live abroad under the search of “a better life”.
Still, you deny other people to do so??
Who, Anonymous are you?? GOD!! as it seems to me.
As much as Mr. van Wonterghem. Belgian from origin, a Finn (??) as profession. But claims his right to deny others.
Who are you??
Simplicity!!
Mark
”That Manifesto is a recipe for disaster!”
Comments like this usually need arguments.
Väinämöinen, you’re a bit late. We have debated this issue a number of times starting from July 2010, when it was published.
Here is a link with the “arguments” you are asking: http://wp.me/p4UBR-If
Väinämöinen
The manifesto proposes a Truth Commission to investigate and call to account all those involved in previous government’s policy development and decision-making in regard to immigration.
The idea is proposterous and almost McCarthyesque. A truth commission generally speaking is used when a country emerges from civil war or a dicatorship! Talk about getting hysterical about immigration! Absolutely ridiculous idea!
thanks you, the link brought me further to an interesting thing.
these calculations that have been suggested have showed devastating results in other countries, so I think Finland has to full right to do so. If some of the politicians resist, it means that they hide something. It is just administrative work.
Kari Tapio or justicedemon, have you ever heard of Mohamed Ali Qassim? Convicted of serious fraud, although you convince Migrant Tales and its readers that no foreigner has ever been convicted of a serious fraud (economical crime) in Finland.
Väinämöinen
Comments like this usually need arguments.
Or that they take the issue of individual human rights seriously.
Somalians are certainly qualified to wash dishes or do laundry until their Finnish improves. The quicker a job is assigned – right off the plane – the quicker the immigrant is motivated to find his or her own “better” job and sign up for all those evening classes. That’s how immigration in USA always was. Finnish language classes would be full if residency rights depended on enrollment and passing grades. Finland can set up any rules it likes, it is an independent country. But far be it from me, in chaotic California, to say that Finns should run their country with common sense. Run it like a welfare state, give free food and lodging to all comers, and watch your country go downhill!
As for those who have links to terrorist organizations in their home countries, why not kick them out? Are we waiting for all that socialist architecture in Helsinki to blow up so we can build again?
Mark
”Or that they take the issue of individual human rights seriously.” hmmm is Finland violating human rights? Or can’t you turn a few papers without violating human rights?
The price of a muslim ranges from 250 000- 350 000€/year in Finland.
Väinämöinen
So, that was a seven-figure offence in the same category as Kari Uoti and Ulf Sundqvist, was it?
Look back at the parameters of the example (seven-figure embezzlement and antitrust offences, defrauding creditors in bankruptcy, etc.).
But keep looking for a counterexample.
And keep changing your name on Migrant Tales – we know who you are.
justicedemon
Are you forgetting your daily pills?
Kari Tapio
”If not, then how do you account for the fact that 100 per cent of serious economic crimes in Finland (seven-figure embezzlement and antitrust offences, defrauding creditors in bankruptcy, etc.) are committed by Finnish citizens? No foreigner has ever been convicted of such an offence in Finland. Not even once. Not ever. Period.”
Serious fraud is what it is legally, media talks about serious economical crime. Learn that first.
Qaussaim was convicted of serious fraud and sent to jail.
Do you want more of your own arguments against you?
Vaka vanha
You have changed the parameters of the example. Obviously this is because you cannot find a single example of a foreigner even charged with a serious economic crime, as defined in those parameters.
You have found an example of an immigrant (not a foreigner) convicted of a lesser offence that pales to insignificance alongside the offences that do fall within those parameters. The amount involved in that case was less than one-tenth of the seven-figure sums in the Uoti and Sundqvist cases and less than one per cent of the eight-figure sums in serious antitrust cases such as the asphalting cartel.
But keep thrashing about – it’s highly entertaining.
Tapsa
Call the minister of Justice to explain to you the basics of the Finnish constitution. justicedemon and minster of justice, you might get along. 🙂 🙂
Anna-Maja Henriksson
Oikeusministeriö:
Erityisavustaja Malin Brännkärr
puh. 040-5347727
Oassaim is a Finnish and a foreign citizen, an immigrant and a foreigner. Qassaim sat 5 months.
Here the essential part
Petoksesta ja muusta epärehellisyydestä
1§
Petos
Joka, hankkiakseen itselleen tai toiselle oikeudetonta taloudellista hyötyä taikka toista vahingoittaakseen, erehdyttämällä tai erehdystä hyväksi käyttämällä saa toisen tekemään tai jättämään tekemättä jotakin ja siten aiheuttaa taloudellista vahinkoa erehtyneelle tai sille, jonka eduista tällä on ollut mahdollisuus määrätä, on tuomittava petoksesta sakkoon tai vankeuteen enintään kahdeksi vuodeksi.
Petoksesta tuomitaan myös se, joka 1 momentissa mainitussa tarkoituksessa tietojenkäsittelylaitteeseen vääriä tietoja syöttämällä tai koneelliseen tietojenkäsittelyyn muuten puuttumalla vääristää tietojenkäsittelyn lopputuloksen ja siten aiheuttaa toiselle taloudellista vahinkoa.
Jos petoksessa
1) tavoitellaan huomattavaa hyötyä,
2) aiheutetaan huomattavaa tai erityisen tuntuvaa vahinkoa,
3) rikos tehdään käyttämällä hyväksi vastuulliseen asemaan perustuvaa erityistä luottamusta tai
4) rikos tehdään käyttämällä hyväksi toisen erityistä heikkoutta tai muuta turvatonta tilaa
ja petos on myös kokonaisuutena arvostellen törkeä, rikoksentekijä on tuomittava törkeästä petoksesta vankeuteen vähintään neljäksi kuukaudeksi ja enintään neljäksi vuodeksi.
Yritys on rangaistava.
Väinämöinen, you don’t get it do you. The issue is that you cannot leave your better judgement to statistics.
Migrant Tales
You said yourself that the ”total-form of reasoning” (100% of people) is ridiculous and mathematically impossible in a comment. Stressing mathematically impossible.
Vaka Vanha
That is a very minor economic offence at the very bottom of the scale that qualifies as aggravated. The Court of Appeal found that sum involved was only 21,000 euros (and it also reduced the jail term to the 4-month legal minimum for the offence in question – so you got that wrong as well). This is tuppenny ha’penny stuff in the scale of economic crimes, and is not even the largest figure of the kind that you were supposed to be looking for. Some cases of insurance fraud have been larger than that.
Compare this to the fine of EUR 82.55 million levied in 2009 on seven companies involved in the asphalting cartel. That figure is also only the fine. It does not even consider the much larger civil claims that local authorities are now lodging against those companies seeking to recover losses due to price fixing. You will not find a single foreigner on the insider track at any of those companies.
Ali Qassim was not a foreigner at the time of that offence. You will find the definition of foreigner in section 3 of the Aliens Act. It couldn’t be clearer: henkilö, joka ei ole Suomen kansalainen. What you wrote was nonsense.
But we needn’t be surprised at this, as you are not responding to the challenge that was made. Your approach is rather like explaining Finland’s footballing achievements in the World Cup by talking about ice hockey.
KARI TAPIO
”If not, then how do you account for the fact that 100 per cent of serious economic crimes in Finland (seven-figure embezzlement and antitrust offences, defrauding creditors in bankruptcy, etc.) are committed by Finnish citizens? No foreigner has ever been convicted of such an offence in Finland. Not even once. Not ever. Period.”
”100 per cent… are committed by Finnish citizens?”
Qassaim with dual citizenship. 🙂
Your assertion is 100 % false. Qassaim with dual citizenship explodes your greatest desire that no immigrant or foreigner (foreign citizen) would have been convicted. Use terminology that don’t backfire yourself.
Better you start talking about cauliflower instead. Whatever appeals were made, it was still serious fraud Tapsa.
Did you get the Helsinki duller musicians-club tickets?
Vaka Vanha
Lessons for the epähiket
Firstly, some really difficult problems of logic:
1) Is a dual citizen a Finnish citizen?
Think about it very carefully. Analyse it in detail.
A dual citizen is someone who is BOTH a citizen of Finland AND a citizen of some other country, but is such a person a citizen of Finland?
Ooh – that’s a hard one!
It’s an example of what logicians call a tautology, but is it really true?
2) Now take another look at the Aliens Act: “a foreigner is someone who is not a Finnish citizen”.
Ooh – that’s even harder!
It’s an example of what logicians call modus tollens.
Complete the syllogism:
Väinämöinen is a Finnish citizen. A foreigner is someone who is not a Finnish citizen, therefore Väinämöinen is …
Now try it this way:
Qassim is a Finnish citizen. A foreigner is someone who is not a Finnish citizen, therefore Qassim is …
Then sober up and think about it all again.
***
Now a complex problem of mathematics:
3) Is EUR 21,000 a seven-figure sum?
Yes? What did you do? Include the cents? 21,000.00
These recent contributions have provided substantial justification for using the term epähikke to characterise you trolls.
Vaka Vanha
One further point. Ali Qassim moved to Finland in 1990, and his citizenship application was processed in the mid to late 1990s under the old Nationality Act (no. 401 of 1968), rather than the new Nationality Act that took effect on 1 June 2003.
The 1968 Nationality Act actively discouraged dual nationality, and applicants were required to relinquish their former nationality on becoming Finnish citizens (subsection 3 of section 4). This means that Ali Qassim is no longer a citizen of Somalia and was never even a dual national, so part 1 of your logical puzzle is simplified to the principle of identity (if A then A). In other words, you must work out whether a citizen of Finland is a citizen of Finland. Be careful with this one and use a pencil, so that you can correct your calculations if you make any mistakes (or maybe you could use your Etch A Sketch!). Use block capitals if joined up writing is too difficult.
I suggest you start by asking whether the following is true:
if Väinämöinen is a citizen of Finland, then Väinämöinen is a citizen of Finland
Then apply the same reasoning to Ali Qassim:
if Qassim is a citizen of Finland, then Qassim is …
I’m afraid you will still have to get your head around the modus tollens part of the assignment and do your maths homework, but at least you don’t have to worry about dual nationality anymore.