A Finnish lawmaker faces charges of inciting hatred
Tere Sammalahde, a member of the Finnish Parliament from the ruling National Coalition Party, is under investigation over a post on the social media platform X published a year ago.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that they are considering charging him under the section on “inciting hatred against a group.”
The post in question was a comment by Sammallahte on a verdict in a case involving the rape of a minor. In his post, he called for a harsh response to crimes committed by immigrants, which sparked public outrage. The post was later hidden by the platform’s moderators.
The MP himself stated that he does not consider his words to be illegal and insists that he did not mention any specific ethnic group.
The case was opened following a complaint from a private individual. A final decision on possible charges is to be made by the court.
It is known that Sammallahte planned to run for the position of party vice-chairman, but it is currently unclear how the investigation will affect his political prospects.
As a reminder, Finland has deported a record number of Russians.
Finland is also making it more difficult to obtain a permanent residence permit.
