WIKILEAKS: Release of Afghan convicts responsible for 2007 death of Finnish peacekeeper pointed to corruption

According to US estimates, news of the killers’ release was feared to negatively impact public opinion in Finland

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According to leaked reports by the Embassy of the United States in Helsinki, the death of a Finnish peacekeeper in Afghanistan in the spring of 2007 was followed by a bizarre sequel.
     
Unofficial reports from Afghanistan-based Finnish officers indicated that the release of five Afghan men convicted in June for detonating a roadside bomb that killed the Finnish peacekeeper Petri Immonen could point to corruption that might include top government officials in Kabul.
      ”Informally at other levels, Finnish military and civilian officers in Afghanistan have pieced together a picture of what they believe really happened. Although at times contradictory, the information they have gathered points to probable prisoner mistreatment before the sentencing and corruption in connection with the pardon, perhaps even on the highest level."
      "According to the MFA [Ministry for Foreign Affairs] office director for Central Asia, the seven men were guilty, as far as the Finns can determine. But they were also mistreated by police and imprisoned without a real trial. (The Finns believe a judge may have simply signed the conviction, and later the order to commute the sentence from death to 20 years, based on a recommendation from police.)"
      "Most disturbing of all, he added, money changed hands in connection with the pardon - with the clearest indication being that two of the seven, whose families could not find sufficient funds, remain imprisoned”, the US Embassy reported in a cable from December 5th, 2007 (see link below).
     
Nevertheless, all suspicions were concealed, as it was feared they would prompt negative public opinion toward participation in the ISAF mission, the US Embassy report indicates.
     
At the same time, high-level efforts were made in order to seek a plausible official answer from the Afghan authorities:
      ”GoF [overnment of Finland] fficials are not naive about the corruption, executive interference, and other abuses that may be commonplace within the Afghan judicial system."
      "However, their search for something resembling a plausible official answer in this case stems in part from a desire to ensure that the event does not prompt an outburst of negative Finnish public opinion toward participation in the ISAF mission."
      "Finland has been engaged for months in a vigorous public debate over the question of whether or not to increase its commitments in Afghanistan - and the GoF is deeply divided on the political level. Clearly, the MOD [Ministry of Defence] and MFA [Ministry for Foreign Affairs] officials who favor such increases do not want the arbitrary freeing of a peacekeeper's killers to become part of the public debate”, the leaked Embassy report continued.
      Markus Lyra, the then Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for Political Affairs, said to Helsingin Sanomat on Monday that he does not recall having heard of any corruption suspicions.
      According to Lyra, the reason for pardon was believed to be ”some clan issue”.
     
Lyra noted further that the US allegations of Finnish officials’ desire to prevent a public debate on the release of the killers was wrong, adding that some other factors were influencing Finnish politicians’ opinions at that time. Certain decision-makers were simply reluctant to increase Finland’s participation in Afghanistan, he claimed.
      Lyra also noted on Monday that the news of the release of the Afghan convicts came as a shock to the Finnish government.
      Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies (National Coalition Party) is not willing to comment on the Wikileaks information.
      Nevertheless, he confirms that Finland has never been given any explanation for the pardon of the five convicted killers.
     
The incident that shocked Finland took place in Maimana in the north of the country in May 2007.
      A roadside bomb killed the Finnish peacekeeper Petri Immonen and wounded four Norwegians who were serving in ISAF´s Provincial Reconstruction Team in Maimana in Faryab Province.
      A second Finnish serviceman was uninjured in the attack, while one local civilian died and another was wounded.
      In June 2007, Afghan authorities convicted seven men in connection with the attack, originally condemning them to death but later reducing their sentence to 20 years in prison.
      In October, Afghan President Hamid Karzai abruptly issued a pardon to five of the seven men. Two remained in prison.
     
     
The US Embassy cable in question is part of the Wikileaks material that has come into the possession of Helsingin Sanomat through the agency of the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.
      Previous articles, linked below, have explored Finland's relationships with Russia and the United States, as seen through the filter of US diplomatic cables, and also American views of former President Martti Ahtisaari


Previously in HS International Edition:
  President Halonen: Afghanistan more risky than before for peacekeepers (20.9.2007)
  Identity of Finnish victim of Afghan roadside bomb attack released (24.5.2007)
  Finnish peacekeeper killed in Afghanistan (23.5.2007)

See also:
  WIKILEAKS: Finland reported copiously to the Americans on dealings with Russian leaders (11.2.2011 - contains several articles)
  Finland demands explanation for pardon of Afghan assailants who killed Finnish peacekeeper with IED in May (27.11.2007)
  A confidential cable sent by the US Embassy in Helsinki, 5.12.2007
  WIKILEAKS: US diplomatic cables portray Ahtisaari as straight-talking and formidable peace mediator (14.2.2011)
  WIKILEAKS, SATURDAY: Halonen tried repeatedly - and in vain - to get an invite to the Bush White House (12.2.2011)

Helsingin Sanomat