Finland demands explanation for pardon of Afghan assailants who killed Finnish peacekeeper with IED in May

Bombers only served three months in prison

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Finland has issued a written diplomatic note to the government in Kabul, requesting an investigation into the basis of pardoning of the Afghan assailants whose roadside bomb killed a Finnish peacekeeper earlier this year.
      Peacekeeper Sgt. Petri Immonen, 29, was killed in a roadside bomb attack in Maimana in the north of Afghanistan in May. The blast from an improvised explosive device or IED also killed a local passer-by and injured three Norwegian peacekeepers.
      In June, seven men were found guilty of planting the bomb, which was presumably detonated by using a remote control. Now, five of the men have been set free.
      Finland and Norway have requested an explanation as to why the men were freed. The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs reported on the matter on Monday evening.
     
Originally, the perpetrators were sentenced to death. Then the verdict was reduced to 20 years' imprisonment, and ultimately the men only served three months, the Norwegian daily VG reported yesterday in its online edition.
      According to the Norwegian information, the secret decision to free the men was made by the Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
      The accused were set free on October 9th.
     
"In Afghanistan, various players can influence the legal system. I do not mean the Taleban, but also others, who are involved in smuggling, drugs trafficking, and so on", says Lt. Col. Ali Möttölä, who was the deputy commander of the Finnish troops in Afghanistan at the time of the attack.
      "These parties make sure their doings will not be interfered with."
      Möttölä also issues the reminder that in Finland no-one knows what evidence the Afghans had against the convicted men in the first place.
      The grounds for the pardoning have also remained undisclosed.
      The freeing of the five men has sparked criticism in Norway.
      "This is a very disturbing piece of news", said Else Kari Shanor, one of the wounded Norwegian peacekeepers, VG reports.
     
Finland has had troops in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led ISAF security and development mission since 2003.
      At present there are around 100 Finnish military personnel in Afghanistan, divided among the capital Kabul and Mazār-i Sharīf and Maimana in the north of the country.
     


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Taleban claims responsibility for explosion that killed Finnish peacekeeper (25.5.2007)
  Identity of Finnish victim of Afghan roadside bomb attack released (24.5.2007)
  Finnish peacekeeper killed in Afghanistan (23.5.2007)

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