The Deputy Prosecutor General of Finland has decided that a pre-trial investigation shall be carried out by Finnish authorities in a case, in which a Russian citizen, presently in custody in Finland, is suspected of war crimes.
The investigation focuses on suspected war crimes (Finnish Penal Code, Ch 11, sections 5 and 6) committed against wounded or surrendered Ukrainian soldiers during the armed conflict in Ukraine before the ongoing war.
The crimes will be investigated by Finnish authorities, because the suspect cannot be extradited to Ukraine, and the case, as an international crime, falls under the jurisdiction of Finland. Preliminary inquiries before the launching of the pre-trial investigation have been carried out in close co-operation by the Office of the Prosecutor General, the National Bureau of Investigation, and relevant Ukrainian authorities. The pre-trial investigation will be carried out by the National Bureau of Investigation.
The prosecutors of the case are Deputy Prosecutor General Jukka Rappe, and State Prosecutor Tom Laitinen.
Further information: Deputy Prosecutor General Jukka Rappe (jukka.rappe(at)oikeus.fi, tel. +358 50 543 1182)
