Security Police investigating Kanerva death threats

The Finnish Security Police (SUPO) are investigating death threats made against Minister for Foreign Affairs Ilkka Kanerva (Nat. Coalition Party).
      Kanerva said in Tuesday's edition of the late-edition tabloid Iltalehti that he has received death threats after controversy arose over text messages he sent to a young dancer. He did not specify the nature of the threats.
      Liinu Lehto-Seljavaara, the SUPO head of communications, also did not give any details on the threats, nor would the police say if security precautions surrounding the Foreign Minister had been tightened.
      "This is a solitary case, and there will be no comment. We are informed about security threats surrounding ministers", Lehto Seljavaara said.
     
Kanerva was in Paris on Tuesday on official business. At a press conference linked with a meeting that he had with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Kanerva would not answer questions on the security threats, saying that it was not the right time to comment on them.
      "I trust Finnish officials in this. The matter is under control, and there are no significant worries in this connection", Kanerva said.
      The Finnish Embassy in Paris reported that security measures for the Foreign Minister were no more stringent than usual.
     
Threats against political leaders are not unusual in Finland. In a recent study published by the Security Police, Jarkko Hynninen examines a total of 145 threats made against the President and ministers in office between 1996 and 2005.
      The real number of threats is higher than that. Hynninen notes that not all of them are even reported.
      Ministers have been given instructions on how to act when they receive a threat.
     
At least one case of threats against a minister has been in the news in the past year.
      The chat room of the website of Minister of Immigration and European Affairs Astrid Thors (Swed. People's Party) was closed last April after threats had been made against Thors and her family on the website.
      Under Finnish law, making illegal threats is a crime, even if the threat is not backed up by action. It is punishable by fines or up to two years' imprisonment.

More on this subject:
 Ilkka Kanerva to bear cross at St. Thomas Mass in Turku St. Michael's Church on Saturday

Previously in HS International Edition:
  National Coalition Party MP calls on Kanerva to resign (18.3.2008)
  Party leader expresses irritation over Foreign Minister´s antics (17.3.2008)
  Kanerva apologises over SMS uproar (14.3.2008)
  Foreign Minister admits to sending text messages to dancer (11.3.2008)