Man convicted of defamation and minor assault after racial slur against city councillors in Lappeenranta

A district court in southeastern Finland has convicted a 69-year-old man of defamation and minor assault after he directed a racial slur at two elected officials and physically pushed one of them in a shopping centre elevator.

The South Karelia District Court ruled on Wednesday that the man must pay over €1,000 in fines and compensation, according to a report by Finnish public broadcaster Yle. The incident occurred in Lappeenranta, where the man called a city councillor and a wellbeing services county representative—along with two children present—by the derogatory term “ryssä” (a Finnish slur for Russians).

The court determined that the term was degrading due to its ethnic connotations and historical weight. The city councillor later told authorities they had been speaking Russian in the elevator before the confrontation.

In addition to the verbal abuse, the man physically pushed the city councillor, leading to the minor assault conviction. While the court acknowledged the use of force, it deemed the overall severity of the violence to be minor. Surveillance footage supported the councillor’s account, capturing the moment they told the man, “Don’t push me.“

The defendant admitted to using the slur but denied both the defamation and assault charges. He did not appear in court for the verdict. The court ordered him to pay 30 day-fines totalling €1,050, along with €400 in compensation to the city councillor and €500 to one of the underage victims. The ruling is not yet final and may be appealed.