Aseistakieltaytyjaliitto

Forum voor Vredesactie

Case Hermaja:

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Background Information

An introduction to Case Hermaja

Why am I a conscientious objector?

Conscientious Objection in Finland

Links to related websites

Finnish Civilian Service Act

Download "Case Hermaja" leaflet (.pdf)

Finnish C.O.s in prison:

Prison addresses

Online support petition

Sign the petition

Recent signatures

Photos:

Manneken Pis (9/1/2006)

Prisoners for Peace (1/12/2005)

Brussels Embassy Occupation (1/12/2004)

Raad van State hearing (14/1/2004)

Brussels Demonstration (1/12/2003)

Brussels Demonstration (2/12/2002)

Brussels Demonstration (1/12/2001)

Brussels Demonstration (3/10/2001)

Latest News:

Manneken Pis dressed as "Prisoner for Peace": demands release of prisoners

9/1/2006

Finnish Presidential Election, questionnaire

9/1/2006

"Prisoners for Peace" day, Brussels

1/12/2005

100th Birthday of Finnish Pacifist Arndt Pekurinen (August 29th 1905-November 5th 1941)

29/8/2004

Actions at Finnish Embassies and Consulates in several countries on the Prisoners for Peace day

1/12/2004

ACTION ALERT: international peace prisoners' day 1st December -focus on Finland

Asylum request of Finnish Conscientious Objector rejected by Belgian High Court

3/3/2004

Finnish conscientious objector appears before the Raad van State, Belgium

14/1/2004

Freedom for Finnish political prisoners!
-demonstrations outside Finnish Embassies in several countries

1/12/2003

Finnish Embassy occupied by peace activists in Brussels

2/12/2002

Amnesty International would adopt Hermaja as prisoner of conscience
28/1/2002

Finnish civil service system punishes conscientious objectors
23/1/2002

Asylum application rejected
21/1/2002

Decision in Case Hermaja expected soon
9/1/2002

Prisoners for Peace actions
1/12/2001

CO demands Asylum in Belgium
3/10/2001

Finnish civil service system punishes conscientious objectors

Members of the European Parliament Heidi Hautala and Matti Wuori

On 16th January the Belgian Commission-General for Refugees rejected the asylum application of Finnish conscientious objector Jussi Hermaja. Hermaja asked for asylum in the aliens office of Brussels in October 2001. The reason for asking asylum was that Mr Hermaja had been sentenced to jail for 197 days because he refused to do civil service.

MEPs Heidi Hautala and Matti Wuori underline that the case has brought the mistreatments concerning the Finnish conscientious objectors to international awareness. The two MEPs points out that the length of Finnish civil service is punitive and they hope that the imprisonment of conscientious objectors would stop. Also, Amnesty International has campaigned for Finnish conscientious objectors. Finland is the only country in the European Union that has political prisoners at the moment. Mr Hermaja has announced his will to return to Finland if the length of civil service will be shortened.

The Finnish student Jussi Hermaja from Jyväskylä applied for civil service in June 1998 when he refused the traditional military service because of his pacifist conviction. A year later he refused civil service because its unreasonable length. In Finland the civil service lasts 13 months at the moment, being over double as long as the most common military service period (6 months). When announcing his refusal Mr Hermaja started a court struggle that took over two years and lead to a jail sentence in summer 2001. At this point Mr Hermaja decided to ask asylum in Belgium, which is the only EU-country that deals with applications for political asylum on an individual basis regardless of whether an applicant comes from “safe” or “other” countries.

The peace activists in Belgium have helped Mr Hermaja with the asylum procedure for example by arranging him a lawyer. In the first instance the asylum application of Mr Hermaja was turned down in October 2001, and 16th of January the Commission-General for Refugees rejected his application again. It is foreseen that Mr Hermaja is going to appeal the decision.