Finnish Police considering legal action against environmental group Elokapina following Parliament protest

The Finnish Police Authority is considering a legal action to dissolve the environmental group Elokapina, as reported by Verkkouutiset. Police Chief Ilkka Koskimäki stated that the authority is currently gathering information regarding the case. Based on this information, the Police Authority will evaluate whether Elokapina’s activities are significantly illegal and if the conditions for initiating a dissolution lawsuit are met.

On September 25, activists from Elokapina, in collaboration with the Swedish environmental group Återställ Våtmarker, painted the pillars of the Finnish Parliament in red. The police are investigating this incident as a serious act of vandalism. The protest aimed to criticize the peat harvesting by Neova, a company that is majority-owned by the Finnish state, in Sweden. According to Koskimäki, findings from the investigation could also provide insights relevant to a potential dissolution lawsuit, although he emphasized that the investigation into the events at the Parliament takes precedence.

The Police Authority or the Prosecutor’s Office can file a dissolution lawsuit against an association or organization in district court. The court may order the organization to be dissolved if it operates significantly against the law or against public morals. In Finland, dissolving organizations for illegal activities is rare. In recent years, the courts have ordered the dissolution of two motorcycle gangs, Cannonball MC and United Brotherhood, as well as the neo-Nazi organization Nordic Resistance Movement.