Finland: Tougher anti-terrorism legislation

On Friday, Finnish President Tarja Halonen will unveil the country's new anti-terrorism strategy. Tighter legislation is to go into effect in early May.


Europe is no stranger to terrorism. While Finland has never been attacked by terrorists, authorities fear the country's pristine record will be broken someday, and they need to be prepared.


Finnish Prosecutor Ari-Pekka Koivisto told YLE that the expected influx of foreigners to Finland -- while a good thing in general -- will also increase the anti-terrorism workload of the Finnish Security Police (SUPO).


Finland's new legislation calls for more measures to prevent terrorist attacks, such as the increased use of wiretapping in obtaining intelligence. In the future, planning or supporting a terrorist attack will also be considered a criminal activity in Finland.


Authorities add that funding, training and recruitment are all essential for anti-terrorism measures to be effective. Officials plan to fine-tune their anti-terrorism plans during a training session sometime this month.


Source: YLE (English)

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