Amnesty International Report 1999 - Finland
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Date:
1 January 1999
FINLAND
In April the UN Human Rights Committee considered Finland's fourth periodic report on its implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Committee welcomed reforms of Finnish criminal procedure which, inter alia, ensure more prompt court appearance and trial, but expressed concern that a person charged with certain offences could be tried in absentia and sentenced to up to three months' imprisonment. The Committee recommended a review of these procedures.
The Committee was also concerned that asylum-seekers and foreign nationals with irregular status were held in prisons and police detention facilities during investigations into their status. The Committee regretted discrimination against Roma and expressed concern that Jehovah's Witnesses were granted preferential treatment as compared to other conscientious objectors to military service.
In July the new Military Service Act, passed by Parliament in December 1997, came into force. The Act altered the length of military service from 240, 285 and 330 days to 180, 270 and 362 days respectively, depending on rank, type of service and length of contract. The length of alternative civilian service for conscientious objectors to military service remained 395 days, more than double the 180 days served by approximately 50 per cent of army conscripts under the new legislation. This length was accepted by parliament in legislation adopted in December.
Throughout the year Amnesty International urged the government to reduce the length of alternative civilian service so that it was not punitive and did not breach international principles on conscientious objection. Amnesty International stated that it would consider anyone imprisoned for refusing to carry out civilian alternative service of a length considered punitive to be a prisoner of conscience and would call for their immediate release.
In December the government wrote to Amnesty International arguing that the longer period of alternative service was justified because "the leave and leisure time of conscripts serving the shortest period were reduced substantially" and that they would also have to perform between 40 and 100 days' reservist service.
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