Lappeenranta man charged over swastika flag display

A man in Lappeenranta has been charged with incitement against a population group after flying a swastika flag from his house, Yle reports, citing Helsingin Sanomat.

The man raised the flag on the pole at his detached house in May. It was clearly visible to people outside, and South Karelia Police received several reports before seizing it. The man denied committing a crime in police questioning.

Helsingin Sanomat reports that he also faces charges of making an unlawful threat and defamation. Those cases involve a local politician who received a message from the man in 2024 that was perceived as threatening.

Yle has previously reported that the man is originally from Russia. According to Finland’s Digital and Population Data Services Agency, he moved to Lappeenranta in 1996 and became a Finnish citizen in 2000. Yle has reported that the flag display had features typical of Russian information influence. The man has denied to Yle that the act had links to Russia.