Finnish police dismiss majority of election interference allegations in Uusimaa, continue investigating bus stop ad harassment

Preliminary investigations by the police into suspected cases of election interference in Uusimaa, Finland, have not led to criminal investigations, except for one case. In this case, the preliminary investigation initiated by the Helsinki police was suspended. The Eastern Uusimaa Police Department looked into a criminal complaint about a bus carrying an election advertisement for presidential candidate Jussi Halla-aho. The bus stood for several hours on January 18, a few dozen meters from the Myyrmäki library, which was an advance polling station. The law prohibits election advertising and campaigning at polling stations or in their immediate vicinity. However, the police decided that in this case, based on the information available to them, no crime was suspected.

The bus in question was an ordinary HSL bus stopped at a bus station. The police couldn’t determine from the available footage whether it was the same bus or if the vehicle had been changed between 1:40 and 5:48 pm. The police concluded that HSL could not be obliged to avoid certain routes or stations with their buses, which have election advertisements.

Helsinki police also investigated the manipulation of election advertisements. In a case where a candidate’s election number had been changed in a message published on a messaging service X, the preliminary investigation was completed and the Helsinki police did not initiate a pre-investigation. Instead, harassment targeting advertising boards at bus stops was taken up for investigation after preliminary investigations. The police did not provide details on the type of harassment or the candidates whose posters were targeted.

Helsinki police also looked into an incident where falsified presidential election advertisements were shared on messaging service X. A person shared an advertisement in which Pekka Haavisto’s candidate number was changed to Jussi Halla-aho’s candidate number. The tampered election advertisement was shared on X several times in January.

The West Uusimaa police concluded after the preliminary investigation that no criminal offence had been committed. The police stated that the distortion of the election result is considered to have occurred when the act is directed at the election itself or the arrangement of the vote, not at election advertising or voters. Election interference was also an issue in the run-up to the 2023 parliamentary elections.