Police are investigating alleged murder in the case of four men held on suspicion of engaging in terrorism. The men are Finnish citizens and are suspected of murders committed with terrorist intent. One is also suspected of providing training for terrorist crimes and another of recruiting others to commit terrorist acts.
The National Bureau of Investigation has called for the men to be detained in prison. A detention hearing for three of the suspects will take place at the Helsinki District Court on Friday, while the fourth was detained in absentia on Thursday.
One of the suspects is a Finnish-US citizen who travelled to Syria for humanitarian purposes, according to his associates. He has been detained in absentia by Helsinki District Court, an administrative step necessary for the investigation to proceed even though he is not present. His associates said two months ago that the man was in Turkey.
According to information uncovered by Yle, the man left for Syria via an association well-known in Finnish Arabic circles.
The organization was established in February 2013 ostensibly to assist victims of the Syrian civil war. One of the other accused is a 30-year-old Finnish-Arabic man who has also travelled to Syria. He is suspected of murder with terrorist intent and training others in terror.
The 30-year-old has also worked as a teacher of Islam in at least two Helsinki schools in autumn 2014. In 2013 he had also registered a construction firm.
The two other accused are converts to Islam. One is a 34-year-old who has published texts critical of ISIS and is suspected of murder with terrorist intent and recruitment for terrorism, and the other is a 30-year-old man who has worked in the building trade. He is accused of committing murder with terrorist intent.
The men were held in the capital region Tuesday. The case is not linked to another terrorism case where the trial of suspects in Finland's first such matter began earlier this week.
18:08 This story was updated to include the fourth suspect.
