Aseistakieltaytyjaliitto

Forum voor Vredesactie

Case Hermaja:

[ English | Suomeksi | Nederlands | Français ]

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

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

Action Photos, Brussels

On 1st December 2003, human rights and peace groups in several different countries took action outside Finnish Embassies and Consulates to demand the immediate release of political prisoners of Finland. Every year in Finland more than 60 conscientious objectors (CO) are sentenced to 6,5 months of imprisonment because of their refusal to take part in the conscription system. 1st December marks the International Peace Prisoners' Day, launched by the War Resisters International in 1956.

Protests took place at Finnish Embassies and Consulates in Belgium (Brussels), France (Paris), the Netherlands (Den Haag), England (London), Scotland (Edinburgh) and Sweden (Stockholm and Gothenburg).

There is still a very extensive conscription system in Finland. Young men have a choice between military and alternative service, but there are many problems with the system. The length of the alternative service (13 months) is clearly punitive compared to the military service (6 months), the conscripts mostly do not receive information about alternative service during the call-up, and the alternative service places often ignore their economic obligations towards the servant. Also, in Finnish law there is no status for COs during crisis time. This means that people who never received military training might be obliged to serve in the army during a war.

The right to conscientious objection is recognised by the United Nations and the European Union, as well as in different human rights declarations. Still the Finnish government fails to respect the human rights of the COs, and systematically imprisons everyone who refuses to take part in the conscription system.

Since 1999 Amnesty International has adopted 45 Finnish COs as prisoners of conscience. According to the organisation Finland is the only country in the European Union where there are prisoners of conscience.

"The Finnish state, as well as other states in the world, must release all prisoners of conscience immediately. Those sentenced must be given amnesty", states the spokesperson of For Mother Earth. "To prevent breaches of the human rights of the COs in the future, Finland must change their legislation so that the alternatives to military service include no service at all and non-violent service. The right to conscientious objection must be recognised universally, including crisis- or wartime, and all people must be treated equally no matter what their reason for conscientious objection is."

In October 2001, Finnish CO Jussi Hermaja fled to Belgium to seek asylum after being sentenced to 197 days of imprisonment. His appeal will be heard in the high court of Belgium (Raad van Staat) on January 14th 2004. He has also appealed against his sentence in the European Court of Human Rights.

Contact action@hermaja.org for more information.