Helsinki Court of Appeal has convicted two Helsingin Sanomat journalists, Tuomo Pietiläinen and Laura Halminen, of revealing a national security secret and attempting to commit the same offence.
Pietiläinen received a four-month suspended prison sentence, while Halminen was sentenced to an 80-day income-linked fine.
Charges against their supervisor, Kalle Silfverberg, were dismissed.
The charges relate to a December 2017 Helsingin Sanomat article about the Finnish Intelligence Research Centre and follow-up stories, some of which were not published.
The journalists were accused of unlawfully publishing and attempting to publish military intelligence information, which was classified or ordered to be kept secret due to national security concerns.
According to the charges, the information originated from, among other sources, classified Finnish Defence Forces documents.
Pietiläinen still works at Helsingin Sanomat, while Halminen and Silfverberg no longer do.
National security overrides freedom of speech
The Court of Appeal found that the published articles and those intended for publication contained classified information.
The court ruled journalists can be held liable for revealing state secrets even if publication was decided by editorial leadership. It noted that the articles and drafts mainly aimed to disclose state secrets that were very likely to harm national security, without sufficiently contributing to a meaningful public debate.
Under these circumstances, national security took precedence over the defendants' freedom of speech, according to the court.
The disclosure of state secrets is classified as an offence of treason, a crime that specifically threatens state security.
In a January 2023 ruling, the Helsinki District Court convicted Pietiläinen and Halminen of disclosing state secrets.
The district court ordered Pietiläinen to pay 50 day-fines, while Halminen, though found guilty, was not sentenced due to her minor role and efforts to ensure legality. Charges against their supervisor Silfverberg were also dismissed by the district court.
According to Pietiläinen’s defence, the Court of Appeal’s verdict is problematic and flawed. Pietiläinen’s lawyer, Timo Ylikantola, said on Tuesday that they may appeal the judgment to the Supreme Court.
Edit note: Article was updated at 14:18 on 1.7.2025 to include comments from the journalists' defence team.
Edit note: Article was corrected at 16:09 on 15.10.2025: The article previously incorrectly stated that the journalists were convicted of treason. The journalists were convicted of revealing a state secret, which falls under Offences of Treason.
