US EditionHelsinki appeal court convicts two HS journalists of treason
- The Helsinki Court of Appeal convicted Helsingin Sanomat journalists Tuomo Pietiläinen and Laura Halminen of treason for publishing and attempting to publish classified military intelligence in connection with a 2017 article.
- The case originated from the Finnish Defence Forces filing a criminal complaint on the article's publication day, citing national security risks despite some data being publicly accessible.
- The court determined that the published article and unpublished drafts contained classified information primarily exposing state secrets, which posed a significant risk to national security and lacked a meaningful contribution to public discourse, leading it to favor national security over freedom of expression.
- Tuomo Pietiläinen was handed a four-month suspended jail term, Laura Halminen was fined based on 80 days of income, and Helsingin Sanomat was instructed to take down the original article; meanwhile, their supervising editor faced no charges.
- The decision is subject to potential challenge in the Supreme Court and raises issues regarding the clarity of legal boundaries, potentially hindering investigative journalism by criminalizing the preparation of unpublished documents.
13 Articles
13 Articles
The Helsinki Court of Appeal on Tuesday sentenced journalist Tuomo Pietiläinen to four months' suspended prison sentence for revealing a security secret.
On June 26, the Southern District Military Court sentenced 29-year-old Alexei Romanyuk to five articles of the Criminal Code, and request...
Finland: Appeal court verdict on Helsingin Sanomat state secrets case sends a chilling message
Finland: Appeal court verdict on Helsingin Sanomat state secrets case sends a chilling message Alarm after journalist given suspended prison sentence for unpublished article. 02.07.2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and its Finnish National Committee express alarm over the recent verdict by the Court of Appeal in Finland to uphold the suspended prison sentence and fine handed down to two journalists from leading…
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