Child abduction case prompts ministerial-level altercation between Finland and Russia

Finnish Foreign Ministry official used diplomatic vehicle to drive father and son back to Finland

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Finland and Russia have sharply differing views with regard to a recent border-crossing child abduction case of a little boy.
      According to the Finnish view, a Russian-born mother abducted her son unlawfully from Tampere, Finland in March 2008 and took him to Russia. Russia, in turn, claims that a Finnish man kidnapped his five-year-old son from Russia at the beginning of May of this year and brought him to Finland.
      Before the son was abducted by her mother, a Finnish court had awarded the father the sole custody of his son.
      An employee from Finland’s Consulate-General in St. Petersburg drove the Finnish father and his son Anton across the border to Finland in a private car equipped with diplomatic licence plates.
     
According to the Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs the actions by the Finnish Consulate-General in St. Petersburg are in stark violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations “and cannot remain without consequences”.
      Olli Perheentupa, Consul General of Finland in St. Petersburg, does not believe that the operation of Finland’s Consulate-General will become more difficult as a result of the squabble.
      “The Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs has not contacted us regarding the matter. In this respect everything has been completely peaceful.”
      Perheentupa was not aware of the worker’s intentions to drive the father and son out of Russia. Perheentupa believes that as a result the border checks of diplomats will be intensified in the future. The employee will continue to work for the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, but will not return to Russia.
      On Thursday night the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov demanded an explanation over the telephone from his Finnish colleague Alexander Stubb.
     
In Russia’s view, taking Anton away from the country against his mother’s will is a “severe violation against Russian laws and subject to penal responsibility”.
      Finland, in turn, claims that the mother took her son to Russia unlawfully in the spring of last year.
      There the boy was granted Russian citizenship.
      The boy’s Finnish father took the matter to court and the citizenship was revoked.
     
"After this the boy was again granted Russian citizenship”, explains Director Pasi Tuominen, Unit for Consular Services, Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
      The man sought refuge with his son at the Finnish Consulate-General in St. Petersburg at the beginning of April, after they have been denied permission to cross the border to Finland.
      Efforts were made to extend the man’s expired visa, but they fell flat.
     
Stubb emphasised during the telephone conversation that an arrangement protocol should be agreed on between the countries with regard to kidnappings across the border.
     
Russia has not ratified the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, and it therefore does not return children abducted to Russia.
      Finland and Russia do not have a bilateral agreement on the matter, either.
      “From the Finnish viewpoint the consulate matter is now closed”, Tuominen says. Two other kidnapping cases in Russia are still pending.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Police find Espoo girl who was abducted by father 11 years ago (13.8.2008)
  Espoo boys go home - to Greenville - for Christmas (4.1.2005)

Links:
  The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction
  The 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations

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