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Minister Häkkänen and Russian Minister of Justice Konovalov discussed cooperation in criminal matters in Moscow

Ministry of Justice
Publication date 2.10.2018 10.08 | Published in English on 3.10.2018 at 10.36
Press release

Minister of Justice Antti Häkkänen met Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation Alexander Konovalov in Moscow. The Ministers discussed election interference, the number of foreign prisoners in Finnish and Russian prisons, and cross-border cybercrime, among other things.

"As cross-border crime is constantly on the rise, we need ever more and stronger cross-border cooperation to tackle it. Finland is committed to promoting cross-border cooperation in criminal matters, and we need Russia to be more closely committed to it as well, Häkkänen said.

Häkkänen and Konovalov also discussed the number of foreign prisoners in Finnish and Russian prisons and their extradition to their home countries. The number of foreign prisoners in Finnish prisons keeps growing. To address this development, it is necessary to explore possibilities to facilitate the transfer of prisoners to their home countries to serve their sentences. Transfer of prisoners between Finland and Russia is currently based on the voluntariness of convicted offenders.

"In my opinion, enabling convicted persons to serve their prison sentences in their home countries is an important goal. We must, together, strive to handle these matters more effectively," Häkkänen stated.

An increasingly significant share of crime is nowadays committed in a telecommunications network. New forms of cross-border cooperation are required to be able to combat cybercrime. In particular, it is important to find ways to facilitate cross-border access to electronic evidence.

"I think it is important that the international community is, as widely as possible, committed to combating cybercrime. Work against cybercrime has been effectively promoted within the Council of Europe, for example. In my opinion, Russia should also consider its full commitment to this work," Häkkänen said.

The Ministers also discussed election interference as a phenomenon, the position of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, and the work being carried out against domestic violence, among other things.

During his visit to Moscow, Häkkänen will also meet the Prosecutor General of Russia, the President of the Supreme Court, the Chairperson of the State Duma Committee on State Building and Legislation, and representatives of the civil society and business life.

Inquiries: Lauri Koskentausta, Special Adviser, tel. +358 2951 50131

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