Finland 2022
13/01/2022: The Finnish Government proposed amendments to the Act on the Prevention of Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism and the Act on Financial Supervision in order to expand and make stricter the punishable scope of terrorism crimes such as the participation in the activities of a terrorist group. The new laws will enter into force in April 1, 2022. (Source)
16/01/2022: It was repeatedly reported that Finland was one of the few Western countries where not a single person who returned from IS territory has been convicted of terrorist crimes despite political efforts to strengthen legislation against terrorism. Researcher Juha Saarinen submitted his analysis about Finland impediments in this regard. According to him, this would be due to a combination of factors namely that investigating terrorist crimes is often a challenging, expensive and slow process. Moreover, Finland's legislation on terrorism is inadequate. Despite the fact that many who have traveled to conflict zones have participated in Jihadist movements, they have not necessarily done so in a way that would have been criminalized. This is partly because extremism in Finland has been very limited, especially before 2012. Consequently, Finland had fewer reasons to develop legislation focusing on the phenomenon. Finally, Saarinen points out the high requirements for preliminary investigations since the information collected in preliminary investigations has often proven to be insufficient to initiate a criminal investigation. (Source)
29/03/2022: Supo has published the 2021 Yearbook summarizing the trends of terrorism threat recorded throughout 2021 notably the return of Talibans in Afghanistan in August 2021. Finnish authorities dismiss the prospect of Finnish foreign fighters heading there as they did in the 2010's for Syria, in the short-term at least. However the possibility of local attacks is considered and the most significant capacity to engage in violent operations is reportedly found among individuals who have fought or otherwise worked for terrorist organisations in conflict zones, and those with a violent background. (Source)
16/04/2022: Supo reported that the security situation in Finland reflects international trends, and as such, the risk of minors becoming involved in terrorist activities has also increased in Finland just like more people under the age of 18 have indulged in terrorist activities in Europe in the past couple of years since they are particularly receptive to the influence of activities and propaganda. (Source)
06/09/2022: The Iraqi twins who were found not guilty of terrorism crimes back in February 2020 are demanding additional compensation from the Finnish state for the time they spent in prison during the investigation and trial of the terrorism case. The State Treasury paid a compensation of over 213,000 euros to the men who were found innocent after being imprisoned for almost a year and a half. According to them, their loss of liberty caused them significantly greater suffering and although the State opposes any increase in compensation, their demand was assessed by the Helsinki District Court which ultimately rejected their claims in September 16, 2022. (Source)
10/10/2022: Finland has been singled out by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which accuses it of having violated children's rights by allowing its young nationals to endure the dire living conditions of the al-Hol camp in Syria. Around thirty Finnish Jihadists who joined IS were detained in Syria with their children and as soon as 2019, Finnish authorities designed an Action Plan to repatriate them. According to the commission, Finland has the responsibility and power to protect Finnish children from imminent danger to their lives. Although 15 children were successfully repatriated in 2020, there are still others who remain in the camp. The special envoy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jussi Tanner, declared that if repatriations were carried out in 2021, they remain lower than those of 2020. The repatriation plan cost 560,000 euros and recently the funds are more linked to security arrangements made by Finland without real spending in 2022. However, according to Tanner, The current situation in the prison camp is unbearable indeed and as soon as an opportunity presents itself, the mission will continue. (Source)
17/11/2022: Finnish authorities have published their National Counter-Terrorism Strategy that shall be Finland security framework until 2025. The updated draft identifies Islamist terrorism as one of the two main threats facing Finland and Europe, the other being Far-Right extremism. At the global level, Islamist groups such as IS and Al-Qaeda remain the most significant actors. The fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in August 2021 is described as a propaganda victory for Islamist movements. This development strengthens Al-Qaeda, which has long maintained a presence in the region, and benefits IS’s regional branch, IS-Khorasan Province (ISKP). These groups are expected to use Afghanistan as a base of operations and as a source of inspiration for international supporters. The deteriorating situation also risks producing refugee flows, some of which could lead to tensions in Europe. Within Finland, the terrorism threat level is assessed as “elevated,” and Islamist activity is considered one of the primary sources of concern. A significant concern is the use of the online environment by Islamist groups. Between 2018 and 2021, IS and its supporters expanded their activities online, focusing on propaganda dissemination, recruitment, networking, and digital operations. These have included hacking, leaking stolen personal data, and launching denial-of-service attacks. Online propaganda encourages supporters to carry out attacks in their home countries and to radicalize others. Much of this content is disseminated not by official organizations, but by sympathizers who amplify extremist narratives.
While the direct risk of large-scale attacks in Finland is low, the spread of online radicalization, the presence of radicalized individuals within the country, and ongoing support activities mean that vigilance is required. As such, prevention, international cooperation, financial controls, and the protection of democratic values are seen as essential by the new strategy to mitigating the Islamist threat. The strategic objectives are structured around prevention, operational response, preparedness, incident management, and the respect for the Rule of Law. Finland aims to maintain high-level capabilities across the country, ensure seamless cooperation among authorities, and balance effective security measures with the protection of fundamental and Human Rights.
Nationally, counter-terrorism is based on a broad partnership among security authorities, municipalities, civil society, and private actors. The police, supported by Supo, Border Guard, Defence Forces, Customs, and the Immigration Service, are the main stakeholders. Prevention is the central focus, aiming to detect radicalization early and to address the social factors—such as exclusion and polarization—that foster extremism. Authorities also seek to prevent terrorist financing through systematic monitoring, risk assessments, and by protecting the integrity of Finland’s financial system. Preparedness and incident management are also key elements. Authorities conduct regular exercises, improve their coordination systems, and maintain the ability to request or provide international assistance when necessary. Victim support, communication strategies, and aftercare are recognized as essential to reducing the societal impact of terrorism. Communications are viewed as a core tool, both for crisis management and for proactively countering extremist propaganda and disinformation. Counter-terrorism policy stresses the need to address social factors such as alienation, polarization, and inequality, which can create conditions conducive to Islamist radicalization. Preventing terrorist financing is a central goal, with authorities tasked to monitor financial flows, enforce asset freezes, and protect the financial system from abuse. Internationally, Finland is committed to the Global Coalition to Defeat IS and to broader multilateral efforts through the UN, EU, NATO, and other frameworks. Finnish crisis management, development cooperation, and peace mediation are also linked to preventing Islamist terrorism by strengthening fragile States, promoting Rule of Law institutions, and addressing root causes of radicalization. (Source)
16/12/2022: Finnish authorities have arrested a 21-year-old Spanish resident who was training to carry out a terrorist attack. Although the police initially thought that the individual was acting alone, it was eventually established that he had obtained equipment and guides relating to the use of firearms and the making of explosives from Jihadist organizations on the internet. An assault rifle he had trained with was found in his car and it appears he was planning to travel to Syria or West Africa. The suspect who was monitored by authorities since 2019, denied the charges against him and declared that his links with Islamists on the internet are only out of personal interest in the subject of Islamism. (Source)