Regulator receives five complaints about Amirkhani’s lawyer

Five complaints have been filed against lawyer Kari Uoti, who represents mixed martial artist Makwan Amirkhani, Yle reports. Four were received by the legal profession’s oversight board this week, and a fifth complaint filed earlier this autumn is also under review.

The board has not disclosed the grounds for the complaints. Uoti told Yle he understands them to criticise his use of freedom of speech.

Uoti’s comments and conduct have drawn attention at the trial of Amirkhani, who is charged with a sexual offence. During his opening statement on Monday, Uoti said that musician Mira Luoti, the complainant, was a woman who was nearly 40 at the time of the alleged incident and was not “desirable” in Amirkhani’s view.

On Thursday, Uoti pushed an Ilta-Sanomat photographer in the courtroom, saying the photographer had stepped on his foot. The photographer denied making contact with Uoti, the newspaper reported.

The oversight board says complaint documents are not public until a decision is issued or the parties involved can access them. It therefore remains unclear what the complaints concern.

Anyone can file a complaint with the board. Licensed legal counsel are required to act in a way appropriate to their duties, including remaining independent of outside influence that could affect their ability to protect a client’s interests and not applying improper pressure to the opposing party.

Cases typically take about a year to process. The board can issue a reprimand or warning if a complaint leads to sanctions. The most serious sanction is revoking a licence, a decision made by the Legal Counsel Board.

Amirkhani’s trial is due to continue on December 22. Prosecutors are seeking about 18 months’ suspended imprisonment for allegedly coercing Luoti into a sexual act. Amirkhani denies the charge and says the allegations are false.