Finland probing Russian diplomat’s assault on activist

This was reported by Yle, Ukrinform saw.

On Saturday, August 5, Trofimov went out with a picket in support of his friend Dmitry Skurikhin, whom a Russian court sentenced to 1.5 years in a penal colony for his words "Sorry, Ukraine."

Trofimov asked a passer-by to take a picture of him holding a poster when a man ran out of the consulate, snatched the poster from the protester's hands, and tried to hit him.

"An employee of the Russian Consulate ran out of the gate and, using obscene expressions, threatened me and my family with physical violence. He grabbed my poster and tore it up. I dodged the blows and was left with fragments of the poster in my hands, while the employee ran back behind the fence," said the activist.

He suspects that the diplomatic mission was holding a farewell party as the consulate will cease its work in a few months.

"A barbecue picnic was held in the consulate’s backyard, some alcohol may have been consumed, which might have played a wicked joke on the culprit," he added.

Trofimov said that witnesses filmed the assault on their phones. The editorial office of Turun Sanomat got hold of one of those videos.

In connection with the incident, Trofimov submitted a report to the Finnish police, as well as to the prosecutor's office of the Russian Federation. Police in Southwestern Finland confirmed to Yle that they have launched an inquiry into the incident.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, in July the reports came that Finland was revoking the permit for the Russian Consulate to operate in Turku after Russia announced plans to withdraw consent to the operation of the Finnish Consulate General in St. Petersburg.

Photo: Petr Trofimov