Jalonen convicted for incitement against a community in Pori

Toni Jalonen, the former deputy chairman of the Youth Wing of the Finns Party, has been convicted by the Satakunta District Court for incitement against a community. The court imposed a penalty of 50 day-fines, totaling 300 euros based on Jalonen’s income at the age of 34.

Living in Pori, Jalonen shared a European Union advertisement featuring a Black family on Twitter in the lead-up to the 2019 European Parliament elections. He accompanied the ad with the message, “Vote for the Finns Party so that Finland’s future does not look like this.” Following this incident, the leadership of the Finns Party Youth later expressed their regret over the publication of the message. The indictment stated that the post remained visible for four days, leading to the prosecutor’s office pressing charges.

The district court concluded that Jalonen must have understood the nature of his published statement as derogatory. The court ruled that the expression used could be perceived as hate speech, which does not enjoy protection under freedom of speech. This conviction is not yet final, as Jalonen has the option to appeal to a higher court.

Jalonen gained national attention in 2020 when he identified himself as a fascist, resulting in his expulsion from the Finns Party. Subsequently, the party dissolved its collaboration with the Finns Party Youth and established a new youth organization, with the party’s then-leader, Jussi Halla-aho, asserting that they reject any ideologies rooted in racial theories, deeming them harmful and irrelevant to their political goals.

Currently, Jalonen is active within the Sinimusta Movement, having run as a parliamentary candidate in Uusimaa last year and serving as the chairman of the movement’s Helsinki branch. The registration of the fascist and racist movement was revoked in spring. Further updates will follow.