Finland Times

 

Plenary session in parliament. File Photo Lehtikuva.

Parliament on Wednesday held a discussion on extremist violent groups and their recent activities.

 

Leaders of the parliamentary groups of political parties gave their opinions on the government move to take extensive measures to tackle violent extremist organisations in the country.

 

Although all the parties spoke in favour of allotting adequate resources for eradicating political violence and tougher sentences for perpetrators, the Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party), one of the components of the three-party ruling alliance, was against the move to blacklist extremist groups.

 

“Prohibiting private organisations or ideologies is debatable from a civil rights perspective, and legislators should not draw up such blacklists,” said Perussuomalaiset parliamentary party group spokesperson Sami Savio.

 

The Perussuomalaiset, like other parties, however, said they support sensible debate in society in this regard.

 

The government on September 26 decided to take extensive measures to tackle violent extremist organisations in the country. The decision was taken at a meeting of key cabinet ministers following the death of a passer-by at the Helsinki Railway Station Square by the activists of Finnish Resistance Movement (SVL).

 

The victim was beaten up outside the Helsinki Central Railway Station where the Finnish Resistance Movement (SVL) was holding a demonstration on September 10. He succumbed to his injuries at the Helsinki Meilahti hospital on September 16.

 

A Finnish neo-Nazi group Finnish Resistance Movement (SVL) demonstrate in front of the railway station in Helsinki, on September 10, 2016. File Photo Lehtikuva.

The government also decided to take additional measures to prevent the dissemination of hate speech through online and to investigate into hate speech crimes.

 

The Ministry of Justice, meanwhile, is examining whether the law related to six-hour pre-notice for holding a gathering needs to be strengthened. 

 

The ministry is also considering outlawing the symbols and marks of abolished violent extremist groups. The police would have the right to intervene in using those outlawed symbols.

 

According to the government, violent extremist movements refer to those activities that include violent extremism, hate speech or other activities that are prohibited by international agreements, in Finnish law, or in the general prevailing view of Finnish society, or are considered to be contrary to public decency.