Finland’s withdrawal from Ottawa Treaty endangers civilian safety, Amnesty report warns

Finland’s decision to leave the international treaty banning anti-personnel landmines threatens civilian safety, human rights group Amnesty International said in its annual report on Tuesday.

The organization criticized Finland’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty, which officially took effect in January, as part of a broader global trend where states are abandoning key arms control agreements. Amnesty noted that several countries have either left or announced plans to withdraw from the Rome Statute governing the International Criminal Court (ICC) as well as treaties prohibiting cluster munitions and landmines.

The report also condemned the Finnish government’s social welfare cuts, which Amnesty said disproportionately affected vulnerable groups, including low-income individuals, minorities, and people with disabilities. Homelessness in Finland increased for the first time in over a decade, the organization noted.

Amnesty further raised concerns over shrinking protest rights in Finland, citing two incidents in 2025. In Tampere, police allegedly used excessive force during a May Day demonstration, firing a compressed-air weapon at a protester and accidentally hitting a bystander. In Helsinki, an Amnesty human rights observer was assaulted during a June protest while nearby officers failed to intervene, according to the report.

However, the organization praised Finland’s reform of the Sámi Parliament Act, calling it a “beacon of progress” for Indigenous rights. The amended law, which entered into force in August 2025, strengthens Sámi self-determination, Amnesty said.