The legal process of the three employees of Helsingin Sanomat must be as transparent as possible, have been demanded by the Finnish Media Council (JSN) and the Editors’ Association (PTY).
The three of them are accused of disclosing state secrets or attempting to disclose state secrets.
The allegations relate to an article published by Helsingin Sanomat in December 2017 about the operations of the Intelligence Center, which is engaged in intelligence activities.
The article, which was compiled on the basis of secret documents, was intended to be the beginning of a series of stories about the military and Finnish defense intelligence and national defense in general.
The allegations of an attempt at disclosure are therefore due to articles that were planned but not published.
Very little information had previously been published about the center.
Requires transparency
The JSN demands special transparency as to the grounds on which merely considering publishing a story or publishing an article can be punishable without publishing the story.
PTY has reiterated the position of JSN.
"All journalistic work up to the final publication of the story is a preparation in which it can also be decided not to publish the story," the association’s press release said. "Therefore, the prosecutor’s decision that an unpublished article would be an attempt at a crime is strange from the journalists’ point of view."
The JSN added that it was particularly concerned about the possibility that the trial could lead to a restriction on freedom of expression or expression for security reasons.
In its opinion, the Council stated that freedom of expression is an important part of a functioning democratic society.
Similarly, the journalists’ association stated that freedom of the press – including open access to justice – is a cornerstone of an open society. The association further stated that only an openly transparent trial allows for a fact-based social debate on the subject.