Finnish Intelligence Agency Accused of Illegal Apartment Search and Data Copying

Finland's intelligence agency, Supo, stands accused of illegally entering a foreign national's former apartment to copy the contents of papers and devices, according to the prosecutor. The alleged illegal operation took place between late May and late August 2020.

The former head of Supo's counterintelligence, Pertti Haaksluoto, has been indicted for abuse of office. A former subordinate faces charges for breaching official duties after admitting to entering the apartment on his superior's orders. This officer, who lacked a police or legal background, collected handwritten papers and hard drives, which were then scanned into Supo's operational network and copied.

A third Supo official involved was cleared of charges. This individual testified that they acted under orders and trusted their superiors, having received no training in police or intelligence law at Supo. The prosecutor contends that Supo employed intelligence methods unlawfully in several ways, including conducting the operation without court orders and failing to document the searches or technical surveillance.

The owner of the seized items had been evicted from the apartment. The prosecutor argues that the intelligence gathering occurred in a place protected by the right to inviolability of the home, requiring a court order under current law. Intelligence Oversight Commissioner Kimmo Hakonen stated that Supo's actions in this case "do not look good" and that he only learned of the incident about five years after the fact, when Supo's own internal legality control reported it.