Finnish MP Timo Vornanen’s suspended prison sentence upheld after appeal rejected

The Helsinki Court of Appeal has denied MP Timo Vornanen’s request for leave to appeal, meaning his eight-month suspended prison sentence for multiple offences—including illegal threats and firearms violations—will stand, Yle reports.

Vornanen, who was intoxicated during the incident in central Helsinki in April 2024, threatened a man with a gun and fired a warning shot into the street after a night at a bar. The District Court rejected his claim of self-defence, ruling he could have left the confrontation without drawing his weapon. He was also ordered to surrender his firearm.

In a Facebook post, Vornanen called the appeal court’s decision a “disappointment” but said he is considering taking the case to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court only reviews such appeals under exceptional circumstances.

The prosecutor had sought a harsher penalty, while Vornanen had demanded all charges be dismissed—or, at minimum, that his sentence be reduced to a fine. He admitted only to a minor firearms offence.