By Anne Kauranen
HELSINKI -Three journalists from Finland’s largest day by day went on trial on Thursday charged with publishing categorised defence intelligence, with the prosecutor demanding at the very least 18-month suspended sentences if discovered responsible.
In an unprecedented case in a rustic famend for its press freedom, the prosecutor claims the 2 Helsingin Sanomat journalists and their former editor revealed nationwide defence secrets and techniques in a report printed in 2017.
The report, entitled “Finland’s most secret place”, revealed the tough location and duties of an intelligence unit of the defence forces at a time when parliament was debating whether or not to broaden its powers to observe non-public information in digital networks.
Based on the prosecutor, the article contained dangerous data the publication of which was in opposition to the legislation.
Helsingin Sanomat Editor-in-Chief Kaius Niemi, who had expenses in opposition to him in reference to the case dropped for lack of proof, mentioned the journalists had not damaged the legislation.
“We will present for every printed sentence that the knowledge might be discovered on the web or in books previous to the publication of our article. Public data can't be categorised,” he advised Reuters.
The three deny any wrongdoing.
Finland has for years been among the many prime nations in a worldwide press freedom rating printed yearly by Reporters With out Borders.
But it surely slipped to a fifth place this yr, partly because of the courtroom case, the journalist affiliation’s Finnish department mentioned.
The journalists weren't current on the preparatory session at Helsinki district courtroom on Thursday.
Hanne Aho, chairwoman of the Finnish Journalists’ Union, mentioned the case was first of a sort.
“It's utterly distinctive that Finnish journalists are being accused of excessive treason,” she advised Reuters.
Beneath Finnish legislation, it's customary to call defendants in a prison case provided that they're convicted.
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