Finnish journalists found guilty of revealing state secrets (updated)
27/01/2023 11:30
(Adds comments, details)
HELSINKI, Jan 27 (Reuters) - A Finnish court on Friday
said two journalists at Finland's largest daily Helsingin
Sanomat were found guilty of revealing classified defence
intelligence, in a rare criminal trial restricting press freedom
in the Nordic country.
Helsinki district court said it had sentenced Tuomo
Pietilainen, the lead writer of a 2017 report entitled
"Finland's most secret place", to pay a fine, while his
colleague Laura Halminen was sentenced but left without a
punishment due to her minor role in the reporting.
Finland has for years been among the top countries in a
global press freedom ranking published by Reporters Without
Borders, but last year slipped to fifth place of 180 countries,
partly due to the court case.
"If a court in Finland, a country ranked on the top of the
World Press Freedom Index (...), prosecutes journalists for
reporting on national security issues, what message is this for
the countries ranked lower in the Index?," Reporters Without
Borders said in a statement, calling it "a dangerous precedent".
The 2017 investigative report by Helsingin Sanomat revealed
10-year-old data on the rough location and tasks of an
intelligence unit of the defence forces at a time when
parliament was debating whether to expand its powers to monitor
private data in digital networks.
"...several types of information regarding military
intelligence were made public, which had been regulated to be
kept secret for the sake of Finland's external security", the
court said in a release.
The court maintained that the revealed details had no
connection to the legislation debated by the parliament and that
the article did not reveal any problems or malpractices which
could have justified its publication.
Helsingin Sanomat Editor-in-Chief Antero Mukka said the
paper was disappointed by the verdict.
"Despite the moderate punishments, the damage to freedom of
speech has already been carried out," he said in a statement.
The court acquitted an editor who, it said, did not
participate in the revelations.
The journalists had all denied any wrongdoing and have the
possibility to appeal against the verdict.
Prosecutors had sought suspended prison sentences of at
least 18 months for the trio.
Helsingin Sanomat is published by Sanoma Media Finland, part
of Sanoma Group SAA1V.HE .
(Reporting by Anne Kauranen, editing by Terje Solsvik, William
Maclean)
((anne.kauranen@thomsonreuters.com; +358401895560;))