Human rights in Finland

Republic of Finland

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Finland

State Gov't Constitution Declaration of Independence Human rights Executive President List Tarja Halonen Prime Minister List Matti Vanhanen Executive Departments Council of State Legislative 35th Parliament Speaker Sauli Niinistö Judiciary General Courts Supreme Court Courts of Appeal District Courts Administrative Courts Supreme Administrative Court Regional Administrative Courts Prosecutor General Matti Kuusimäki Chancellor of Justice Elections 1991 parliamentary 1994 presidential EU Membership Referendum 1995 parliamentary 1996 European 1999 parliamentary 1999 European 2000 presidential 2003 parliamentary 2004 European 2006 presidential 2007 parliamentary Divisions Provinces (Läänit) Regions (Maakunnat) Sub-regions (Seutukunnat) Municipalities (Kunta) Political parties KESK (Centre Party) KOK (National Coalition Party) SDP (Social Democratic Party) VIHR (Green League) VAS (Left Alliance) KD (Christian Democrats) PS (True Finns) RKP (Swedish People Party) Politicians Foreign Policy Foreign relations Ambassadors Politics of the European Union

Other countries · Atlas  Politics portal view • talk • edit

Human rights in Finland are protected by the constitution and extensive domestic safeguards, in addition to the country's active membership in most international human rights treaties.

Areas of continuing interest to international agencies that monitor human rights include:

1. Conscientious objectors to both military and civilian service are jailed for six months. There are about 10-20^{[citation needed]} conscientious objectors every year. Most are in minimum security, open facilities, and objecting is not entered on criminal records.
2. Charges of racist/xenophobic treatment of ethnic minorities by officials, and that refugees are hand-picked by the Ministry of the Interior on basis of country of origin citing "security reasons".^{[citation needed]}
3. A case in which agitated asylum seekers were drugged for deportation.^[2]
4. Unfair court action in the light of unacceptably delayed verdicts, in breach with the European Convention on Human Rights article 6§1. Handling time have been unacceptably long particularly in civil cases or criminal court cases relating to bankruptcy, e.g. eight years in the district court and 12 years in total.^[3][4]

Mandatory options of civilian or military service were of unequal duration: civilian service 13 months, or one month longer than the longest conscript service (conscript officers and underofficers and certain specialists such as certain vehicle operators), 12 months, and 5 months longer than the average service in army, 8 months. Rebuttal of criticism of the length of civilian service often point out that whereas conscripts are often on duty around the clock (especially in the field), civilian servicemen often only work during office hours. However, an act enacted in 2008 changed civilian service to 12 months. Some 25% of conscripts serve 12 months, with the large majority serving 6 months.^[5]

See also

• Gay rights in Finland
• Lapsiporno.info

References

External links

• Homepage of the Parliamentary Ombudsman for Human Rights.
• Human Rights and Finnish Foreign Policy.
• Archive of Finland reports at Amnesty International.
• Archive of Finland reports at Human Rights Watch.
• 2005 Finland report of Freedom House.
• 2004 World Press Freedom Review, published by the International Press Institute
• About political censorship in Finland, in Finnish.
• Homepage of the Institute for Human Rights at Åbo Akademi University.
• The Finnish League for Human Rights
• Censorship cases in Finland - IFEX
• Review of Finland by the United Nations Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review, April 9, 2008

U.S. State Department Annual Reports

• Religious Freedom Report 2005
• Religious Freedom Report 2004
• Religious Freedom Report 2003
• Religious Freedom Report 2002
• Religious Freedom Report 2001
• Religious Freedom Report 2000
• Religious Freedom Report 1999
• Human Rights Report 2004
• Human Rights Report 2003
• Human Rights Report 2002
• Human Rights Report 2001
• Human Rights Report 2000
• Human Rights Report 1999

v • d • e Finland topics History Early Finnish wars · Great Northern War · Grand Duchy of Finland · Finnish famine of 1866–1868 · Russification of Finland · Finland's declaration of independence · Finnish Civil War · October Revolution · Finland's language strife · Military history of Finland during World War II Politics and government Constitution · President · Foreign relations · Elections · Political parties · Parliament · Government enterprises · Law enforcement · Human rights Geography Lands · Provinces · Counties  · Lakes · Rivers · Islands  · Extreme points  · National Parks Economy Bank of Finland · Finnish markka · Helsinki Stock Exchange · Companies · Taxation · Nuclear power · Transport · Communications · Finnish euro coins · Tourism Military History · Air Force · Army · Navy · Military Ranks · Wars Demographics Education · Ethnic groups · Languages · Religion · Subdivisions · Cities  · People  · Healthcare Media Internet domain · Newspapers  · Magazines  · Radio · Television Culture Cinema · Cuisine · Literature · Music · Public holidays  · Sport  · Architecture  · Art Symbols Coat of arms · Flag · National anthem Portal