Russian mother of abducted Anton Salonen astonished at her treatment in Finland

“I hope that Anton will return to me and will live with me in Finland”

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Rimma Salonen, a Russian citizen suspected of illegally abducting her son Anton Salonen from his Finnish father and taking him to Russia, repeated her stand in the international custody and abduction dispute on Tuesday.
      With the help of her supporter Johan Bäckman, Salonen organised a press conference in the Tampere City Library, in which she sharply criticised the Finnish state authorities, the police, and the media for the way they have handled the case.
     
“In Finland I was labelled a criminal, even though I came here to defend my own rights and the rights of my child”, she declared in Russian. Bäckman, no stranger to controversy in matters touching on Russian interests, acted as her aide and interpreter.
      Rimma Salonen wished to prove by referring to the Finnish Population Register information that her son Anton had dual citizenship when she took him to Russia in March 2008. Anton did not have a Russian passport. Instead the mother had applied for a visa for him for the trip.
      The journey took place without the consent of the boy’s father and legal guardian Paavo Salonen. The affair came to public attention when Anton’s father smuggled his son back to Finland in the spring of 2009 in the boot of a diplomatic vehicle. The father and the son now live together.
     
Rimma Salonen arrived in Finland at the end of July. She has been banned from travel by a Finnish court.
      The police suspect Salonen of child abduction and deprivation of freedom. She has been questioned several times by the police. The preliminary investigation is nearing its completion and the case will enter the consideration-of-charges phase before the end of the month.
      Rimma Salonen is not worried about the police investigation. Instead she awaits its results in a positive spirit.
      “I hope that Anton will return to me and live with me in Finland”, she said.
      “I have no desire to travel anywhere. I have no plans to return to Russia.”
     
Rimma Salonen has met with Anton twice since her return to Finland: once on a park picnic organised by the Finnish gossip weekly 7 päivää and another time when Paavo Salonen helped her to move.
      The police are also looking into Paavo Salonen’s activities.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Suspected child abductor Rimma Salonen released, banned from travel (4.8.2009)
  Russian mother in international child abduction case back in Finland (3.8.2009)
  Child abduction case prompts ministerial-level altercation between Finland and Russia (18.5.2009)
  NBI to investigate smuggling of Anton Salonen into Finland (16.6.2009)
  Finland replies to Russia´s diplomatic note over Anton custody dispute (29.5.2009)
  Something had to be done, says diplomat who brought abducted boy back to Finland (22.5.2009)

See also:
  Anti-Estonian Johan Bäckman refused entry at Port of Tallinn (27.4.2009)
  Hundreds of listeners and a handful of protesters attend publication of book on Estonia (24.3.2009)

Helsingin Sanomat