Conscript avoids charges over Kainuu Brigade photos

A conscript who photographed the Kainuu Brigade military base and shared the images on social media will not face criminal charges, Yle reports, citing Helsingin Sanomat.

The alleged offences took place in 2023, and the prosecutor made the decision in July. The man was suspected of disclosing a security secret and committing a service offence.

He was suspected of photographing areas at the base where photography was prohibited and sharing the images on Snapchat. Police had previously told Yle that some of the locations were classified as critical. Helsingin Sanomat reported that the man may have caused serious harm to Finland’s national defence.

The prosecutor said the service offence had expired. The photographs and video that were recovered were considered such general images that their disclosure alone was not capable of endangering national defence and security.

According to Helsingin Sanomat, the man said he had shared the material with a closed group and believed it was content that could legally be distributed. He had previously told Yle that he took the images without thinking.

Yle has reported that the images showed people, equipment and other matériel.

The Finnish Defence Forces is monitoring more closely what conscripts publish on social media. The war in Ukraine has shown the need for social media guidance for conscripts, although the guidance has not been changed because of the war.