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The Finnish Anti-Fascist Committee (Template:Lang-fi), also known by its Finnish abbreviation of SAFKA, is a political organisation based in Helsinki, Finland. The founding activists of the committee are Johan Bäckman, Leena Hietanen and Petri Krohn; there are other members.

Activities

On 23 March 2009, Safka staged a protest in central Helsinki together with Nochnoy Dozor and Nashi against a seminar arranged by the Estonia's embassy in Helsinki discussing the Soviet deportations from Baltic states. Safka claimed in its blog that the event "worshipped Nazi ideology" and was "anti-Russian" in nature. The protest was joined by the prospective Finnish Islamic Party represented by Abdullah Tammi The protest, attended by only a few dozen protesters received huge media interest in Finland. In comparison, the seminar drew about 300 people.

Manifests and declarations

Most of SAFKA's public declarations concern Republic of Estonia, history of Estonia, and Estonia's right to exist as a sovereign country.

During their demonstrations in SAFKA delivered a manifest titled "Manifest of antifascists in Helsinki", signed by seven organisations calling themselves antifascist committees throughout Europe, condemning what they claim as "apartheid policies of Estonia and Latvia". The manifest claimed that the "attempt of the Baltic regimes at equating Communism with Fascism is a form of Holocaust denial as it denies the unique nature of Nazi crimes".

Earlier in December 2008 SAFKA had delivered a similar manifest condemning other phenomena it describes as fascist: school shootings, political activism against the Paris Peace Treaty, death of the political left, as well as homosexuality in fascist organisations.

Following publication of the final report of the Estonian International Commission for Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity, SAFKA claimed that its chairman, the Finnish diplomat and one-time UN Secretary-General candidate Max Jakobson, is the "ideological father of the criminal apartheid regime of Estonia" and gave him the "misanthropist of the year" award..

Reactions

The committee specialises in justifying Stalinism, particularly reinterpreting the Soviet deportations from Estonia as benign and making accusations regarding supposed human rights violations in Estonia. An article in the business daily Ärileht characterised the committee as a neo-Stalinist organization.

Alleged ties to supposed former KGB affiliates

The Estonian counter intelligence agency Kaitsepolitseiamet has stated that SAFKA has close ties with former KGB affiliates. In particular, the committee members have once appeared publicly with Abdullah Tammi (born Risto Tammi), who claims he was former KGB informant. A book by Johan Bäckman, one committee members, has been published by Estonian publishing house Tarbeinfo, owned by Mr. Vladimir Ilyashevich, who, according to Kaitsepolitseiamet, has worked as KGB operative in Soviet times.

Political ambitions

According to the business newspaper Ärileht, the committee would be a platform of Johan Bäckman in his bid for European Parliament elections.

Sister organisations

SAFKA has sister organisations in the Baltic states, including the Estonian Anti-Fascist Committee, the Latvian Anti-Fascist Committee and Nochnoy Dozor.

Notes

1. ^ Eesti Ekspress 17 March 2009: Soome ekstremist tahab Eesti seminari ajal putinjuugendi Helsingi tänavatele tuua, edited by Askur Alas
2. Yleisradio 3 November 2008: Abdullah Tammi KGB:n agenttina by Jukka Lindfors
3. Helsingin Sanomat 23 March 2009 13:04–15:24: Viro-kirjan julkaisu keräsi Sanomataloon 300 hengen yleisön
4. "Manifest of Antifascists in Helsinki". SAFKA. 2009-03-23. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
5. "Suomen antifasistisen komitean julistus nro 1" (in Template:Fi icon). SAFKA. 2009-12-13. Retrieved 2009-03-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
6. Misanthropist of the Year 2009
7. Delfi 23 March 2009 12:37: Bäckman: küüditamine oli päästmine sõja eest
8. ^ Ärileht 27 March 2009: Stalinism sünnib Soomes uuesti by Heiki Suurkask
9. ^ Askur Alas (18 March 2009). "Üheskoos Eesti vastu: antifašist Bäckman ja natsimeelne Teinonen". Eesti Ekspress (in Template:Et icon). Retrieved 2009-03-31. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
10. Kaitsepolitseiamet 29 February 2000: Endise NSV Liidu luure- või vastuluureorganite teenistuses olnud isikute kohta koostatud Kaitsepolitseiameti teadaanne, published in Elektrooniline Riigi Teataja
11. "Финские антифашисты против шествия легионеров" (in Template:Ru icon). chas-daily.com. 17.02.2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
12. "Антифашисты Эстонии и Латвии объединятся с финскими союзниками" (in Template:Ru icon). informpskov.ru. 17.02.2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
13. "Антифашисты Финляндии, Эстонии и Латвии собрались в Риге" (in Template:Ru icon). tatar-inform. 18.2.2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
14. "Финские антифашисты уже высадились" (in Template:Ru icon). kriminal.lv. 11.3.2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)

References

• Postimees/BNS 14 February 2009 18:43: Öine Vahtkond kavandab ühistegevusi Soome Kremli-meelsetega
• Delfi 17 March 2009 14:14: Bäckman: Eesti kavandab Helsingis provokatsiooni
• Eesti Ekspress 18 March 2009 16:45: Üheskoos Eesti vastu: antifašist Bäckman ja natsimeelne Teinonen, edited by Askur Alas
• Helsingin Sanomat: Russian nationalists plan Helsinki protest
• Delfi 19 March 2009: 16:09 Uurija: marginaalne Naši üritab tähelepanu saada
• Delfi 22 March 2009: 14:58 Soome politsei: Naši üritus pole midagi erilist
• Postimees 23 March 2009 08:50: Helsingi politsei valmistub Putini-noorte meeleavaldusteks, edited by Mari Kamps
• Eesti Ekspress 23 March 2009 12:43: Räige Eesti-vastane kampaania käib kolmes riigis korraga, edited by Askur Alas
• Helsingin Sanomat 23 March 2009 13:04–15:24: Viro-kirjan julkaisu keräsi Sanomataloon 300 hengen yleisön
• Hufvudstadsbladet 23 March 2009 13:31–16:48: Tyst protest av Putinunga by Staffan Bruun and Marcus Lillkvist

• Misplaced Pages articles with possible conflicts of interest from March 2009
• Finnish political activists