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The Security Police Board (Template:Lang-et), also commonly known as KaPo, is the Estonian government institution that protects the Estonian constitutional regime and performs counterintelligence in Estonia. Its tasks also include the prevention and discovery of crimes against the parliamentary democracy in Estonia. Kaitsepolitseiamet is in the administrative field of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

History

Kaitsepolitseiamet was established on April 12, 1920 by the Government Of Estonia. From 1925 to 1940 the institution was known as Poliitiline politsei (abbreviated PolPol). When the Soviet Union annexed Estonia in June 17, 1940 the PolPol was one of the first institutions which was practically in corpore repressed. During the Soviet rule from 1940-1941 and 1944-1991, the PolPol was replaced by local organs of its counterparts in the Soviet Union: KGB, NKVD, MVD etc.

The institution was re-established as Kaitsepolitseiamet in March 1, 1991, during the collapse of the Soviet Union and the process of Estonia regaining its independence, as a department of the Estonian Police (Politseiamet). It began operating as a separate institution in June 18, 1993. According to the law of security services, which took effect on March 1, 2001, the status of the Kaitsepolitseiamet changed from a police institution to a security service.

Criticism

Risto Teinonen, a Finnish lawyer and Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana recipient in an interview from Spain, accused KAPO of threatening his life and of attempting to persecute him for holding views that they do not like. In 2007 a photo of him wearing a swastika with the Order surfaced on the internet leading to KAPO keeping him under surveillance for two years on suspicion of spreading Nazi propaganda, but dropped charges when it was determined he did nothing illegal.

References

1. "Simm stripped of honors". Baltic Times. 13 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
2. Template:Et icon "Teinonen: Kapo ähvardas mind surmaga! +KAPO kommentaar". Eesti Ekspress. 19 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
3. "Finnish Neo-Nazi Sues Estonian Security Police". Tallinn: Interfax. 13 January 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-05.

External links

• The web page of the Kaitsepolitseiamet
• Julgeolekuasutuste Seadus, Riigi Teataja I 2001, 7, 17

59°25′52″N 24°44′15″E / 59.431°N 24.7375°E / 59.431; 24.7375

• Intelligence agencies
• Politics of Estonia
• Law enforcement agencies of Estonia