Former head of Finland's security police charged with disclosing state secrets
Finnish prosecutors have charged seven people in a case involving the intelligence activities of the Security Police (Supo), including former chief Antti Pelttari, who faces charges of disclosing national security secrets and abuse of office.
Finland's prosecution service has filed charges against seven people in a case connected to the intelligence work of the Finnish Security Police (Supo), Yle's Russian-language service reports. Among those charged is former Supo head Antti Pelttari, who is accused of disclosing a secret related to national security and of abuse of his official position.
According to the prosecution, the disclosure of the state secret may have occurred between August 20 and September 7, 2020. The abuse-of-office charge covers a much longer period, from June 2012 to the end of 2023.
This is not the first charge brought against Pelttari over his time leading Supo — earlier this summer he was already charged in a separate episode involving a violation of his official powers.
Investigators say that during its intelligence work, Supo breached rules governing police authority, operational methods and the handling of classified information. According to Yle, the case is linked to Supo's counterintelligence unit having, for years, employed former retired staff to work against Russian espionage.
Antti Pelttari headed Supo from 2011 to 2023. In early 2024 he became Secretary General of the Finnish Parliament, but he was suspended from that post last summer amid the criminal investigation.
