Helsinki: Kurds demands police release suspects (UPDATED: Political persecution claims, Protest continues)

Helsinki: Kurds demands police release suspects

200 Finnish Kurds demonstrated outside the police-station in Vantaa (Helsinki) on Monday. The Culture Center for Kurds in Finland says the demonstrators wanted to know why the police arrested two men last week.

The police says that the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation is investigating a crime involving collecting money. The two had been collecting money for the culture center.

Kari Jalonen of the police confirmed that the two men had been arrested. He did not want to divulge any more details, since the investigation is ongoing.

Ali Fikri Bayrakli, secretary general of the culture center, says that one of those arrested is a Kurd from Jyväskylä with Finnish citizenship. He does not know who the other man is.

The demonstrators say they will not leave until the Kurds have been released. The police report the demonstration is calm.

Sources: YLE, Vasabladet (Swedish)


Update:


More on YLE in English.


Update 2 (Sep. 22):

The protest continued for its second day on Tuesday. (YLE)

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