Bäckman apologises to Paavo Salonen over comments on child custody affair

Finnish author and sociologist Johan Bäckman, who has made a reputation for defending the Russian and Soviet points of view in a number of current and historical controversies, has shown uncharacteristic contrition for views that he recently expressed.
      Writing on his blog on Thursday, Bäckman apologised to Paavo Salonen, the father of Anton Salonen, a child who is the centre of a custody dispute between Paavo Salonen and his former wife Rimma Salonen, a Russian citizen.
      Bäckman wrote: “I deeply regret all of the ill feeling, trouble, fear, and anguish that I have caused Paavo Salonen, the father of the boy Anton, with my own stupid, childish, and thoughtless behaviour. I want to apologise to him for it, and at the same time I promise not to interfere in any way in the matters of Paavo and Rimma in the future.”
      In early October Paavo Salonen had submitted a request for a police investigation concerning both Bäckman and his ex-wife, alleging that the two had committed aggravated slander against him.
      Soon after that, Bäckman filed a complaint, accusing Paavo Salonen of making false allegations against him.
      Bäckman has helped Rimma Salonen in the custody battle in Finland.
     
The dispute emerged when Rimma Salonen took his son with her to Russia last year and kept him there for several months.
      Paavo Salonen later travelled to Russia and found the boy in Nizhni Novgorod. To get him back to Finland, he enlisted the help of a Finnish diplomat in St. Petersburg, who took Anton across the border in the back of his car, prompting something of a diplomatic incident between Finland and Russia.
      Anton’s mother later came back to Finland, and was charged with child abduction, for which she was given a suspended sentence.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Putin denounces diplomat for helping smuggle Anton out of Russia (4.6.2009)
  Something had to be done, says diplomat who brought abducted boy back to Finland (22.5.2009)
  Russian mother in international child abduction case back in Finland (3.8.2009)
  Rimma Salonen gets suspended sentence for child abduction (14.10.2009)
  Child abduction case prompts ministerial-level altercation between Finland and Russia (18.5.2009)

See also:
  Anti-Estonian Johan Bäckman refused entry at Port of Tallinn (27.4.2009)
  Book accuses media and Green MP of inciting anti-Russian sentiment (1.3.2007)

Links:
  Johan Bäckman (Wikipedia)