Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Terrorism |
Sentence: |
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Years Imprisoned: |
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Year Crime: |
2011 |
Year Convicted: |
2014 |
Year Cleared: |
2016 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
Finland |
County or Region of Crime: |
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City of Crime: |
Helsinki |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated |
Summary of Case: |
"Four Somali immigrants to Finland, three men and one woman, were co-defendants wrongly convicted in 2014 of financing terrorism for raising 3,200 euros ($3,900) for the al-Shabab group in Somalia in 2008-2011. Al-Shabab is an al-Qaida allied group. They were charged based on the prosecution's contention the money was to be used for committing terror crimes. One of the male defendants was also convicted of recruiting his brother to join al-Shabab. The prosecution of the four was the first terror-linked case in Finland. The four appealed. On March 23, 2016 the Helsinki Court of Appeals reversed the convictions of the four defendants and ordered their acquittal based on insufficient evidence they had criminal intent. The Court ruled the four defendants could not have known for certain the money would be used for committing terror crimes, and that their claim was credible that they believed the money was sent for charitable causes. The Court also acquitted the defendant who was further convicted of recruiting his brother for al-Shabab, ruling that there was no clear evidence of such action by the defendant." |
Conviction Caused By: |
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Innocence Proved By: |
"On March 23, 2016 the Helsinki Court of Appeals reversed the convictions of the four defendants and ordered their acquittal based on insufficient evidence they had criminal intent. The Court ruled the four defendants could not have known for certain the money would be used for committing terror crimes, and that their claim was credible that they believed the money was sent for charitable causes. The Court also acquitted the defendant who was further convicted of recruiting his brother for al-Shabab, ruling that there was no clear evidence of such action by the defendant." |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
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Age When Released: |
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Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
Black |
Information Source 1: |
"Finnish court acquits 4 defendants of terror-linked crimes, By Associated Press, Richmond Times-Dispatch, March 23, 2016" |
Information Location 1: |
http://www.richmond.com/news/national-world/ap/article_3df62eb6-82db-5ea7-8e74-0dbc87200bd3.html |
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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org