Putin's Russian Question
FINROSFORUM // The Finnish-Russian Civic Forum strives to promote cooperation between the peoples of Finland and Russia by supporting civic initiatives for democracy, human rights, and freedom of speech.
The Chechen and Ingush diaspora in Finland has turned to the Finnish Ombudsman for Minorities, Eva Biaudet, for protection against threats by Lutheran pastor Juha Molari, member of the "Finnish Anti-Fascist Committee". The pastor claims that refugees from North Caucasus residing in Finland are linked to terrorism.
On 24 September 2010, Molari wrote in his blog that there were no genuine refugees from the Caucasus in Finland. "Everyone who has fled Caucasus and arrived in Finland is linked to terrorism," the pastor claimed. Earlier, he wrote that asylum applicants were "brought into Finland because of their terrorist links." Chechens and Ingushetians living in Finland regard Molari's allegations as incitement to racial hatred. Moreover, Molari's statements are an affront to the Finnish immigration authorities, given that people guilty of crimes are not eligible for asylum. Read the open letter of the Nakh diaspora to the Finnish Ombudsman for Minorities:
