Case to be Reconsidered: Russian Family Opposing Invasion of Ukraine Faces Deportation from Finland

A Russian family, who were threatened with deportation from Finland after their asylum applications were repeatedly rejected - despite threats of arrest, imprisonment and torture for their pro-Ukrainian activism - have won an appeal in court and their case will be re-examined, the British newspaper The Guardian reports today.

Nikita Belov and his mother Olga Belov fled Russia for Finland in 2022 after attracting the attention of Russian authorities - including military conscription, threatening messages and attempts to find them - due to their public opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Guardian reported in an article on its website.

They were due to be deported from Finland within weeks after the Finnish Immigration Service determined that they were “not in real danger” if they returned to Russia. In April, authorities temporarily detained them ahead of their deportation.

The Administrative Court overturned that decision, citing new evidence, including media coverage in Finland, Russia, and international media, and returned the case to the immigration service for reconsideration.

The Belov family's case has also attracted political attention in neighboring Norway. Last week, politicians from Norway's Green Party attempted to intervene, suggesting to the government that, if the Belovs' deportation goes ahead, Norway instead of Finland should offer the family asylum.

Political activist and critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Bill Browder, who leads the Global Campaign for Justice for Magnitsky, said the case was "a crucial test of Europe's commitment to protecting those who risked everything to oppose Putin's war."

Nikita (25) left his job as an engineer at a research institute in Moscow specializing in metallurgical technologies after learning that his work was linked to the Russian war effort.

Since arriving in Finland, Nikita and Olga (55), a nurse anesthesiologist, have openly supported Ukraine and sent humanitarian aid, including assistance to the Ukrainian armed forces.

Olga said the court's decision represents the first positive news they have received in four years, but that it is overshadowed by "constant uncertainty and fear of deportation."

She added: "My health has deteriorated over the past four years, and we still have to wait for a final decision. This is very stressful and no one knows how long it will last. This experience has already left a permanent mark on our lives and we will have to deal with the consequences. Regardless, I would like to thank everyone who is helping us, supporting us and literally saving us from death."

Nikita said: "Earlier, when I imagined how I would react to a positive decision, I was sure it would be a very emotional moment. But I actually didn't feel anything. It's strange, but now it seems to me that I am already mentally exhausted. We still have to wait for the final decision."

Their lawyer, who asked that his name not be published for security reasons, hopes that their asylum will be granted soon.

"The court overturned the negative asylum decision because the clients submitted a large amount of new evidence indicating that they were designated as persons at risk of persecution. The Finnish Immigration Service must carefully assess the international attention and widespread media coverage of this case, as well as the question of whether this further exposes them to risk," the lawyer said.

Browder, whose friend and lawyer Sergei Magnitsky died in custody under the Russian regime, said the latest decision was "an important victory for Nikita and Olga, but the case should never have gone this far."

He added: "Finland is on the front line of defending Europe against Putin's aggression. It would be completely absurd to send two people who have publicly opposed that aggression straight back into Putin's hands. I hope that the Finnish authorities will now grant Nikita and Olga the protection they deserve."

Anti Lehtinen, director of the international protection department at the Finnish Immigration Service, said he could not comment on individual cases, but added: "Only about five percent of all decisions are returned for reconsideration each year. In the vast majority of these cases, the reason is that the applicant presents new information about his or her situation during the court proceedings. The Finnish Immigration Service's asylum decisions are therefore largely in line with national legal practice, and are also in line with the average decision-making practice in EU member states."