Capital punishment in Finland
Encyclopedia
Capital punishment in Finland (Finnish: kuolemanrangaistus) has been abolished de jure.
As of 1823 in the Grand Duchy of Finland
, death sentences were commuted to transportation to Siberia
or life sentences. The last person to be executed in peacetime was Tahvo Putkonen
, on July 8, 1825. The capital punishment was de facto abolished during the rest of the Czarist regime 1825-1917 in Finland.
The capital punishment was re-established in the Finnish Criminal Code in 1917 after the Independence Declaration. Death sentences were frequently handed down during the Finnish Civil War
of 1918. Approximately 1,400–1,650 Whites
and 7,000–10,000 Reds
were executed by the opposing side. The executions were invariably carried out by firing squad.
During the Winter War
and Continuation War
approximately 550 death sentences were carried out, 455 (some ninety percent) of these were Soviet infiltrators, spies and saboteurs. The officer's right to execute soldiers refusing to obey commands or fleeing from combat was exercised only in 13 cases. The most famous case is the execution of conscientious objector
Arndt Pekurinen
in autumn 1941, who was also the penultimate Finn ever to be executed for civilian crimes (conscientious objection during wartime was considered high treason
). As he declined taking a rifle and going to the front line, he was sentenced to death without trial for disobedience by his commanding officer, Captain Valkonen. Nobody in his battalion volunteered for the firing squad, and Captain Valkonen had to use threat of punishment to order a soldier, Corporal Asikainen, to shoot him. Pekurinen's death was widely considered a legalized murder by his service mates.
The last Finn to be executed for civilian crimes was Toivo "Axe" Koljonen, who killed a family of six with an axe in 1942. He was shot by a military police
firing squad along with Soviet spies sentenced to death for espionage in 1943. The last woman executed in Finland was Martta Koskinen, shot for espionage and high treason in 1943. The last Finn to be executed for any crimes was Private Olavi Laiho, who was shot for desertion, high treason and espionage in Oulu, 2 September 1944. One day later a group of three Soviet infiltrators were shot, as the last persons to be executed in Finland.
In independent Finland
, capital punishment for crimes committed in peacetime was abolished by law in 1949, and in 1972 it was abolished entirely. In addition, the current Constitution of Finland
, adopted in 2000, —specifically Chapter 2, Section 7— prohibits capital punishment:
In the 19th century and before, as in the other Nordic countries, beheading by axe was the most common method of execution. In the 20th century, firing squads were used. The official beheading axe of Finland is today on display at Museum of Crime, Helsinki
.
Some notable lasts:
As of 1823 in the Grand Duchy of Finland
Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland. It existed 1809–1917 as part of the Russian Empire and was ruled by the Russian czar as Grand Prince.- History :...
, death sentences were commuted to transportation to Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
or life sentences. The last person to be executed in peacetime was Tahvo Putkonen
Tahvo Putkonen
Tahvo Putkonen was a Finnish farmhand, who killed tenant farmer Lasse Hirvonen on December 26, 1822 during the Finnish grand duchy period in Pieksämäki. He was sentenced to death on July 30, 1823. He made numerous appeals all the way to the Emperor, but was each time denied pardon...
, on July 8, 1825. The capital punishment was de facto abolished during the rest of the Czarist regime 1825-1917 in Finland.
The capital punishment was re-established in the Finnish Criminal Code in 1917 after the Independence Declaration. Death sentences were frequently handed down during the Finnish Civil War
Finnish Civil War
The Finnish Civil War was a part of the national, political and social turmoil caused by World War I in Europe. The Civil War concerned control and leadership of The Grand Duchy of Finland as it achieved independence from Russia after the October Revolution in Petrograd...
of 1918. Approximately 1,400–1,650 Whites
White Guard (Finland)
The White Guard was a voluntary militia that emerged victorious over the socialist Red Guard as part of the Whites in the Finnish Civil War of 1918...
and 7,000–10,000 Reds
Red Guards (Finland)
The Red Guards formed the army of Red Finland during the Finnish Civil War in 1918. The combined strength of the Red Guard was about 30,000 at the beginning of the Civil War, and peaked at 90,000-120,000 during the course of the conflict....
were executed by the opposing side. The executions were invariably carried out by firing squad.
During the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
and Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
approximately 550 death sentences were carried out, 455 (some ninety percent) of these were Soviet infiltrators, spies and saboteurs. The officer's right to execute soldiers refusing to obey commands or fleeing from combat was exercised only in 13 cases. The most famous case is the execution of conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
Arndt Pekurinen
Arndt Pekurinen
Arndt Juho Pekurinen was a Finnish pacifist and conscientious objector....
in autumn 1941, who was also the penultimate Finn ever to be executed for civilian crimes (conscientious objection during wartime was considered high treason
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
). As he declined taking a rifle and going to the front line, he was sentenced to death without trial for disobedience by his commanding officer, Captain Valkonen. Nobody in his battalion volunteered for the firing squad, and Captain Valkonen had to use threat of punishment to order a soldier, Corporal Asikainen, to shoot him. Pekurinen's death was widely considered a legalized murder by his service mates.
The last Finn to be executed for civilian crimes was Toivo "Axe" Koljonen, who killed a family of six with an axe in 1942. He was shot by a military police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
firing squad along with Soviet spies sentenced to death for espionage in 1943. The last woman executed in Finland was Martta Koskinen, shot for espionage and high treason in 1943. The last Finn to be executed for any crimes was Private Olavi Laiho, who was shot for desertion, high treason and espionage in Oulu, 2 September 1944. One day later a group of three Soviet infiltrators were shot, as the last persons to be executed in Finland.
In independent Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, capital punishment for crimes committed in peacetime was abolished by law in 1949, and in 1972 it was abolished entirely. In addition, the current Constitution of Finland
Constitution of Finland
The Constitution of Finland is the supreme source of national law of Finland. It defines the basis, structures and organisation of government, the relationship between the different constitutional organs, and lays out the fundamental rights of Finnish citizens...
, adopted in 2000, —specifically Chapter 2, Section 7— prohibits capital punishment:
In the 19th century and before, as in the other Nordic countries, beheading by axe was the most common method of execution. In the 20th century, firing squads were used. The official beheading axe of Finland is today on display at Museum of Crime, Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
.
Some notable lasts:
- Last person executed in peacetime in Finland: Tahvo PutkonenTahvo PutkonenTahvo Putkonen was a Finnish farmhand, who killed tenant farmer Lasse Hirvonen on December 26, 1822 during the Finnish grand duchy period in Pieksämäki. He was sentenced to death on July 30, 1823. He made numerous appeals all the way to the Emperor, but was each time denied pardon...
, 1825, beheadedDecapitationDecapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
with axeAxeThe axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
for murderMurderMurder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide... - Last person hanged in Finland: Taavetti Lukkarinen, 1916, at OuluOuluOulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
. He was hanged for high treasonHigh treasonHigh treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
under Czarist RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n martial lawMartial lawMartial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
. Instead of gallowsGallowsA gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
, he was hanged in a pine tree. The tree is today protected as a memorial. - Last person executed for a civilian crime in Finland: Toivo KoljonenToivo KoljonenToivo Harald "Kirves" Koljonen was the last Finn executed for a civilian crime. He was executed by firing squad for a sextuple murder....
, 1943, by firing squad for six murders. - Last woman executed in Finland: Martta Koskinen, 1943, by firing squad for espionageEspionageEspionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
and high treasonHigh treasonHigh treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
. - Last Finn executed: Private Olavi LaihoOlavi Laiho-Early life:Olavi Laiho was born as a son of a farmhand in Halikko, Finland. He was introduced to Communism very early on, and was an active member of the underground Finnish Communist Party. He moved to Turku, where he worked as construction worker. Laiho was active in sports.-Military...
, 2 September 1944, by firing squad for desertionDesertionIn military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
, espionageEspionageEspionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
and high treasonHigh treasonHigh treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
. - Last person executed in Finland: a group of three Soviet infiltrators, 3 September 1944, by firing squad for espionageEspionageEspionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
.