Finland halts deportation of Russian family who ‘risked everything’ to oppose Ukraine invasion
Summary
A Russian family in Finland, who opposed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and faced threats if returned home, have won a court appeal to reconsider their asylum case. The Finnish court overturned the earlier decision to deport them, citing new evidence about the risks they face, and sent the case back to immigration authorities for review.Key Facts
- Nikita Belov and his mother Olga fled Russia in 2022 due to persecution for speaking against the Ukraine invasion.
- Finnish authorities had planned to deport them after saying there was no real risk if they returned to Russia.
- The family was temporarily detained in April before the court overturned the deportation decision.
- New evidence, including international media reports, influenced the court’s decision to reconsider their case.
- Norway’s Green party proposed offering asylum to the family if Finland deported them.
- Human rights activist Bill Browder called the case a test of Europe’s commitment to protecting anti-war activists.
- Nikita left a Russian engineering job connected to the war effort before fleeing.
- The family has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine since arriving in Finland.
- Finnish immigration will reassess the case, considering the new evidence and international attention.
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