Voislav Torden, a Russian citizen accused of war crimes in Ukraine, is facing charges for violating the entry ban in Finland. The Helsingin Sanomat (HS) newspaper reported that Torden will appear in the Kymenlaakso district court in Kouvola to face the charges.
The charges stem from two incidents at the Vaalimaa border crossing in Virolahti. The first violation occurred between August 16 and 19, 2022, and the second violation happened from July 19 to 20, 2023, with the defendant entering Finland by car on both occasions.
Torden, also known as Jan Petrovski, has been banned from entering the Schengen area by Norway and the Czech Republic. The case presents a potential disagreement between the prosecutor and the defendant regarding the defendant’s awareness of the entry ban and its duration.
Last year, Torden was identified and detained by Finnish Border Guards using facial recognition technology while attempting to board a flight to Nice. Torden had presented a Russian passport and a Finnish residence permit, but further investigations revealed his true identity as Jan Petrovski, exposing the entry bans.
Torden’s legal assistant, Natalia Malgina, explained that the residence permit had been granted to the entire family based on Torden’s wife’s right to study at a Finnish university.
Torden is accused of terrorist crimes in Ukraine, including being part of a terrorist organization, although he has denied the allegations. Finnish media reports have described Torden as a leader of the Rusich group, a designated neo-Nazi paramilitary organization.
Ukrainian authorities had requested Finland to deport Torden for trial in Ukraine, but the Finnish Supreme Court ruled against the deportation due to problematic prison conditions in Ukraine. Currently, the Central Criminal Police in Finland is investigating Torden’s potential involvement in war crimes in Ukraine.
According to the Luhansk region prosecutor, Torden took part in military confrontations with a terrorist organization in Ukraine’s territory in 2014 as a member of the Rusich armed group. The case continues to unfold as Torden faces legal proceedings in Finland regarding the alleged entry ban violations.
Still have some travel questions? Ask in our Travel WhatsApp Group.
