On a racist Internet site, death threats have been posted against the President of the Republic Tarja Halonen and several other politicians, including Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre).
In addition to the death threats, the website in Finnish includes racist statements and instructions for ethnic cleansing.
The site also includes a link to a YouTube video, which contains further threats.
The National Bureau of Investigation (Finland’s Central Criminal Police arm) is looking into the website as incitement against sections of the population and as unlawful intimidation.
The website in question came to the NBI’s attention a couple of weeks ago through the police’s own net monitoring practice as well as through tip-offs from the public.
The Finnish Security Police (SUPO) are also keeping an eye on the matter.
According to an Internet DNS search service it looks as though the website in question would have been registered by a leading figure of an American neo-Nazi organisation.
According to the NBI, however, at least thus far there is no hard evidence of any international involvement with regard to the website.
Last week headlines were made by a Facebook hate group containing death threats against the Minister of Migration and European Affairs Astrid Thors (Swedish People’s Party).
The NBI has heard the founder of the group on suspicion of unlawful threats.
In cooperation with the prosecution services, the police will later decide if there is reason to suspect those who have posted threatening comments on the site of having committed a crime.
